[LittleRedHen]

I went to my first allotment meeting last night and there was a big fuss over a woman whose back garden runs up against the allotments.  She has gone as far as taking the allotment association to court over the noise the cockerels are making on the allotments.  Everyone was up in arms and very indignant.  Evidently, Parliament made the original charter for allotments and it states that the only animals allowed are rabbits and hens.  A real bone of contention!

[joyfull]

yes the allotment act does say hens and not cockerels and to be quite fair to the woman not many people want to be woken up in the early hours by a crowing bird especially if that bird is nothing to do with you. Mine start at 4am but unless I am up and about at that time I don't hear them.

[evie2]

When we had cockerels the started as early as 3am even though the were in their coop  

Personally, I think it's a bit of a cheek to expect people living beside allotments to put up with a noisy cockerel when the owner is probably lives nowhere near, they're the ones who give everyone  else a bad name

Sorry for the rant.

[LittleRedHen]

No, that's okay!  I live up the hill from the allotments, about a half mile, and I hear them at 4:30 in the morning!  One indignant man at the meeting complained that he had all 5 of his cockerels in his shed now.  BUT since the meeting, I haven't heard a single cockerel.  So someone did something about it!  This is a very rural little wide spot on the river Bure, and what is happening is that there are a lot of townies from cities moving here to retire and enjoy The Broads and the country - just by their standards.

[Aunt Sally]

Joyfull is quite right that allotment holders have the right to keep rabbits and hens on their allotment enshrined in law.  They have absolutly no right, however, to keep cockerels !

[LittleRedHen]

I'll give the complaining woman her due.  She did her homework and made sure she had a right to complain before she did it.  That said, the other big complaint at the meeting was about the people that walk their dogs through the allotments and let them off their leashes.  Now on this one I have to side with the allotment owners!

[joyfull]

yes that would annoy me too 

[Vecten]

I have always kept one cockerel on my allotment but it has been pretty much accepted. I supply people with eggs and they come to me for hens when they want to keep a few, so it has not really been a problem ... yet.

[ManicMum]

No, that's okay!  I live up the hill from the allotments, about a half mile, and I hear them at 4:30 in the morning!  One indignant man at the meeting complained that he had all 5 of his cockerels in his shed now.  BUT since the meeting, I haven't heard a single cockerel.  So someone did something about it!  This is a very rural little wide spot on the river Bure, and what is happening is that there are a lot of townies from cities moving here to retire and enjoy The Broads and the country - just by their standards.

Any minute now they'll demand street lights!!

[joyfull]

at the moment you are lucky as you have no right in law so if a local gets annoyed and complains then it could be goodbye cockerel.

[scabs]

Funnily enough, I came on to post on this very topic.

It seems that a neighbour has complained about crowing cockerels and the Society has informed us that none are allowed in law. Many of us have cockerels and I myself was blissfully unaware of this; seems the society and the guy from the council have been turning a blind eye for at least 15 years!

Whilst it scuppers my plans for breeding old game, and though I have had to give away my boys, I can fully appreciate the neighbours' complaint. Some plotholders, however, are seething! 

[Aunt Sally]

Unfortunately they have no right to seethe as they have no right to have the cockerels. 

If they had your pragmatic view it would be much better for their health - seething raised blood pressure and allotments should be about lowering it

[wildwitchy]

No, that's okay!  I live up the hill from the allotments, about a half mile, and I hear them at 4:30 in the morning!  One indignant man at the meeting complained that he had all 5 of his cockerels in his shed now.  BUT since the meeting, I haven't heard a single cockerel.  So someone did something about it!  This is a very rural little wide spot on the river Bure, and what is happening is that there are a lot of townies from cities moving here to retire and enjoy The Broads and the country - just by their standards.

Any minute now they'll demand street lights!!

what I find irritating is people going to the countryside & expecting it to be like the city. It's not. If you dont like the sound of a cock crowing * off back to city where they can listen to people rowing, motorbikes revving & steros blasting. I live in the city & had brahma cockerels with no hassle but hate it. Hate & detest city life - give me cock crowing at 4.30 am anytime. Much better than bang bang music.

[scabs]

I disagree, I think they have every right to seethe; it's an inalienable human right!!!!


I think the thing here is that it's been allowed to slide for so long that many, including myself, simply didn't realise that it wasn't allowed. There are several breeders on the site and perhaps a word of warning much earlier on would have prepared them for the inevitable...

I sort of don't blame the society either, who I guess were trying to be cool with everyone.

The whole thing is a bit unfortunate really!

Still, now we know and everyone will have to live with it!

Seeing as I can't have a pair of Carlisles, anyone know what pheasant are like to keep? Or turkeys? Or...?

[Aunt Sally]

Seething is futile as they don't have the law on their side - sad but true.