[daveh]

Good afternoon,

I am very new to the subject of keeping chickens. I've been investigating the subject for about an hour. I feel lucky that I've found this highly informative web-site and forum.  

My daughter (14) wants to start keeping chickens, for the 'happy' eggs. We were thinking that 3 or 4 seems about right to start with.

I would of course like to keep our neighbours happy, so we'd probably not be going for a cockerel. Can anyone tell me how noisy chickens are?
The neighbours garden would be a few feet away, although there are bushes and a fence.

Thanks,

Dave

[muntjac]

dont worry about the noise from them they hardly make any .try 6 for starters .welsummers point of lay will give all you want . just read all the advice givern on the forum and you wil not go far wrong .    

[daveh]

Thanks for the reply, we'll give it a try.

Dave

[richyrich7]

Hiya Dave welcome to the forum, 100% with Muntjac they make very little noise just the odd cluck etc when they have laid cause they feel pleased with themselves   , I had mine for about 3 months before my neighbour even realised  :roll:

[sorrel]

I too agree with munty and richy - the hens do a lovely (not noisy) cluck cluck thing to tell you they have laid an egg - other than that very quiet.

Also my neighbours love them (both sides) - and day they get hours of pleasure watching them roam around the garden (the fact that they occassionally get a few free eggs helps too).

Welocme to the forum and best of luck with your chucks

[Aunt Sally]

I agree.  Hens are not very noisy,  mine occasionally shout "EAGLE" when the see an nunusuall aeroplane  :roll:

The neighbours love my chooks and the occasional box of lovely fresh 'happy eggs'  

[richyrich7]

I agree.  Hens are not very noisy,  mine occasionally shout "EAGLE" when the see an nunusuall aeroplane  :roll:

  oh yeah forgot "the sky is falling" wobble  

[alan42]

sorry to disagree with you all so far but i would defenatly check with the neigbours before buying them mine complained not because of the noise but because they had been told by somebody that chickens attract rats and after a while would start to smell so that put them on there gaurd straight away and no matter what i said the wife had got it in her head rats were comming so that put a stop to that idea. i had the council man jumping over my fence to check what was happening so be carefull.
alan

[richyrich7]

My neighbour has the odd "dig" about rats, but we live next to water and They make so much rubbish they have black bags piled next to the wheelie bin, can't tell some people  :roll:

And rats will come to any food source, rabbits, guinea pigs, aviary's, hens etc so keep everywhere clean no food stuffs lying around and you lower your chances of getting visitors.

like sorrel says a few free eggs go a long way  

But Like Alan says you could always have a word first esp if you get on well with them.

[cluckingmad]

I would of course like to keep our neighbours happy, so we'd probably not be going for a cockerel. Can anyone tell me how noisy chickens are?

I have six (am hoping to get some more soon!).  Mine are usually quiet - except sometime one of my two blackrock chickens starts squawking her head off if someone is already in 'her' next box when she wants to go and lay an egg :shock:   She doesn't seem to accept that there are three other boxes available :roll:   Apart from that nutter they usually make lovely little noises and make a funny purring noise when they're having a dustbath.  I think you need planning permission for a cockerel - unless you don't live near anyone!!

[chickychick]

So can this council official actually do anything about someone keeping chickens? Or is that just if you live in a council house or you are causing a nuisance and if so what constitutes a nuisance?

[alan42]

mine is a council house so he can do something mind they have done nothing to the muppet next door with his 4 barking whinning never taken out smelly skiny ( lurchers) dogs or the prat over the back with his never clean out smelly flying rats(pigeons) but thats a difrent thing isent it.
alan

[Kazoo]

I have three Black Rocks and one of them is extremely noisy!  The neighbours have commented and I have kept them happy so far with a good supply of eggs.  Unless I let them out by 6am Roxy is shouting at the top of her voice with indignation, she also shouts everytime she hears the front door, sees me, hears my car etc  Its so bad now its a bit embarrasing.  I always know when she is laying because its the only time she shuts up.  The other two are perfectly well behaved, guess I was just unlucky to get a mouthy one, shes also the smallest one but definately top of the pecking order.

[calli]

If you are in a town you won't be allowed a cockerel anyhow. As long as you keep foodstuffs secured in metal bins and don't overfeed so food is left, you shouldn't be any more likely to attract rats than leaving binbags out :roll:

If your neighbours agree, make sure you remember to send the odd half dozen round to them