Recieved complaints

[sheena]

Advice needed quite urgently, and am quite upset by this too.

I have until 17th April to rehome my chooks as "a number" of complaints have been recieved by my HA.

Only 2 neighbours in my locality I haven't actually met or spoken to, so could be them, but have never had a complaint directly.

The other thing is, the HA has said that poultry isn't deemed as a pet.

I have managed to stop the hen's crowing in the morning so far, and now let them out at 8am, and they take themselves off to bed around 7pm.
So in accordance with noise regulations, they won't fall into that catagory.

Anyone have any experience dealing with this sort of thing.

Thanks in advance for your help.

[Nickerly]

Is there anyway you can find out what the complaints actually were?

I always thought that if you kept less than 50 chickens you didn't need to register them so were safe unless your local authority has any bylaws against poultry.

Try omlet.co.uk for extra info

[minskey]

Hi Sheena,
You said you've "managed to stop your hens crowing" do you mean your cockerals? If you have cockerals they can be a nuisance and you don't need them for your hens to produce eggs & getting rid of them might appease your complainers as hens don't make such a lot of noise.

[sheena]

No, I didn't have a cock for the noise reason alone, but I have 4 hen's. (recieved from BHWT)
Only 1 hen is crowing, but she's just expressing how happy is she I am guessing.

She's only been doing it for the last 3-4 days, but whilst I said I would try not to get attached, I have!!

[Hilary B]

If a hen is actually crowing she may be getting into a sex change (it can happen). It usually goes with ceasing to lay eggs. (chook biology is a bit complicated, but basically, if a hen has the equivalent of the menopause, she CAN effectively become a cockerel)

[NSB]

We checked with our local council and as long as we didnt keep a cockerel and under 50 then they were more than happy.

Mine make lots of noise in the morning and it tends to be when there laying and the others are on guard.

What I do and hav found it works is sort the food and water out the night before, just let them out and dont talk to them or make eye contact I'v found this stops them from kicking off.

[NSB]

Also why should youn have to get rid of your birds, what about bl.....y dogs barking I find that more offensive than a happy chicken.

[frias]

Also why should youn have to get rid of your birds, what about bl.....y dogs barking I find that more offensive than a happy chicken.

Here here. Hope you can sort something out to keep them. What bl**dy minded neighbours.

[RedThorn]

You got to get rid of them with no warnings? Thought you had to at least be warned first, given a chance to improve the situation.

[lizzylemon]

Hi Sheena,

You need to check with the local council on their policy of keeping chickens in a built up area if you're in one (sorry to be obvious). I think the local City Council is the place to start. Try speaking to someone at the town hall when they open on Tuesday and they will certainly be able to point you in the right direction.

However, I suspect HA stands for housing association right? In which case they will have their own rules and regulations about keeping animals & birds regardless of what the local council say - I know I was a HA tenant for 9 years.

I got permission for my pets before I moved in and got them to send me a letter confirming that it was OK for my cat as the HA I rented from had a Zero animal policy.

If you find that you're in a no chicken zone as far as the local council and the HA say, then I'm really sorry but they are entitled to ask for and enforce the removal of your hens.

However, it maybe that your HA will give you a little ley way and perhaps you could offer to have a months grace whereby if the hens cause any complaints in said time scale you will give them up at the end with no fight. But if no complaints are received in that time, you keep your hens. But I suspect they will say no as because they will say they can't change the rules for 1 person......

In the mean time, lend your noisy girl to someone you trust so she can't accidentially cause an international noise incident and ruin it for the other hens you have.

[Nicos]

I can see now why you were worried about your neighbours!

I'd have thought you should have been given written notice to improve the situation...do you have a copy of your tenancy agreement giving a definition of what a pet actually is?
I'd have also thought an ex-batt could be argued to be past the point ( almost) of laying -which was why they were being 'disposed of' by the egg farm)and that they were rescue animals taken in as pets- and not for egg production.

Here's a dictionary definition of a pet...1. An animal kept for amusement or companionship.
2. An object of the affections.

If you can argue they're finishing laying cos they're too old...you may be in for a technical chance of keeping them...esp if you can gag the noisy one ( or donate her to a farm???)

[sheena]

Well I have been round all my neighbours with the exception of those who weren't in... and not one of them minded signing my petition to let me keep them, and half of them didn't know I had them.

Most of the replies I had were
1) We grew up with chickens
2) I know someone who has chickens
3) I wouldn't mind having some myself!

So I think from the one complaint they could of possibly received... I now have over 30 signatures that say who care's basically.

Now I know I have the backing from my neighbours, i'm not gonna back down.

Forgot to mention that since we build the run and homed the chooks, we had a leaflet through the door from our local garden centre... not only advertising the fact that they sell chicken run's, but also a book titled "Keeping Pet Chickens" (they also sell them for an amazing £22 each - a neighbour told me this before I got the ex-batts).

My chooks rock, albeit a little louder than I like, but they my girl's and i'm gonna protect them from the nasty HA lady.
She can suck eggs, as long as they not mine! lol

[Nicos]

Go for it Sheena!!!!

How about a piece in the local paper???..there are some peeps on this forum who love to get involved- and help out as they can!!!
I think the petition is a great idea...but you'll still need to look at your HA rules and what is defined as a pet- cos if you signed a contract to say you wouldn't- then that's legally binding

[Bephlam]

I can't imagine having to give my girls up now...!! Mine are also noisy (at times) so I can sympathise. Thankfully we live in our own home and have limited neighbours...

Like Nicos said...if you've signed a contract it's legally binding, but...I still think you should fight it as best you can. Never give up without a fight!

Good luck Sheena...keep us posted!

[HayleyB]

I hope the HA changes their mind Sheena. If not then you can bring them down here. Good luck.......