[PLecostrum]

So someone complained!!  I have no neighbours one side just a alley garages a carpark then houses. End of garden is another garden then a house. My neighbour left is ok with it there lovely they haven't heard them at all.   Someone at bottom row of houses complained about nextdoors sofa in garden.  They can't even see them.

Just waiting for them tocome what can i expect?

[ManicMum]

If there is no restriction on keeping chickens where you live, then you should just need to prove that you're a top-class chicken keeper.

If you can talk confidently about your food storage & vermin control, etc & evidence that your birds are healthy, the coop is clean and smell free & there isn't a lot of junk around, then they should be willing to discuss the situation.  The noise level of chickens (not cockerels) is unlikely to be a problem on its own.

If they see that the birds are kept in dirty, unhealthy conditions and that rats are everywhere, the complainant has stronger reason to have spoken to the council.

Unfortunately, if there are restrictions, it will be difficult - whether or not you knew about them previously.

Good luck with your meeting!  Tell us how it went, please

[azubah]

I agree with ManiacMum.
The only contact I had with the environmental people was when my Mom and Dad had an infestation of small beetles all over the house.
The man who came was very nice and soon found the problem.
It was their fault as they had left an elderly box of cereal at the back of a cupboard and the beetles had multiplied in there.
He put it down as 'an infestation of unknown origin', to save their blushes.

I don't think they are out to 'get' you, but to see what the problem is (if any) and help to solve it.

[Sassy]

I don't think they are out to 'get' you, but to see what the problem is (if any) and help to solve it.

They are only responding to a complaint. I'm sure you will be able to reassure them. Good luck

[Pertelotte]

I can appreciate how scary this can be for you, but the best approach is to gird your proverbials and take an assertive (not aggressive) approach.

Before they arrive have a long hard look at your set up. Is the coop clean? Are food and medicines stored safely? Where do the chooks run; is there plenty of room and in what conditions etc. No need to go overboard, but make sure that your 'I's are dotted and 'T's crossed. What you want is to make sure you can answer any questions confident you know what you're talking about. if you do spot anything, then put it right pronto.

If there is something wrong you didn't notice or rectify, then you should be given a period of grace in which to make amends. You might also want to take the attitude you have free expert advice about to arrive. Ask questions, ask for information and generally pick their brains as officially they're there to help. The rules and regs are to protect the public and to ensure the chooks have the best possible life. Admittedly they are skewed towards farms, rather than the garden, but that is no reason why you shouldn't get the maximum benefit from this. And take heart: they've been letting the batteries get away with murder for years.

Be positive: once they're happy you're doing a good job you should be complaint proof for ages (if for no other reason they don't have the manpower) and you can always stickîns in effigies after they've gone.

And good luck!

[Jeanette]

I agree with what everyone has said. Try to stay calm, Make sure everything is clean and put away properly. That you girls have plenty of food and water then sit back. If they have had some nasty piece of work complain then they have got to do there job but once they see everything is OK they will leave.

[ManicMum]

The majority of environmental health people are very quick to realise the difference between a real problem and a malicious complaint!! 

I agree that you can look at them as experts to help you keep your chickens well without impacting of the grumpies in this world!

[ManicMum]

Any update on this?  I do hope it all went OK.  It would be useful to know how you've been getting on as this could affect many of us.

[yorky]

The majority of environmental health people are very quick to realise the difference between a real problem and a malicious complaint!! 

Spot on.
When I first started keeping hens environmental health turned up at my door to say that there had been a complaint about rats. Before they even looked at my hens they said that its just probably a case of someone assuming that hens automatically attract rats. After checking my set up they agreed that there was no sign of any problem. So off they whent back to the person making the complaint, to tell them that if they were seeing rats then it was probably as a result of the full slices of bread that they were leaving on their lawn for the birds.

[Yorkie]

  Nice one

[Lindeggs]

Good outcome yorky.  I second Yorkie.