Neighbours have complained about the noise

[SheerWill]

We had a knock on the door this morning from next door complaining that the chickens have woken them up in the morning 4 times. I admit they are a bit noisier at the moment as we have just introduced two new girls and they're still getting used to each other, but they're not even near the neighbours side of the garden (literally below our bedroom window) and I'm a light sleeper, but they've never woken me up. These are the same neighbours that complain if our boiler is on too late at night because it keeps them up. Goodness knows what they think of ds who's 4 as he's hardly quiet either. We can move the run to the back of the garden but worried as the fence is lower and they might figure out how to escape, or we put the run near the garage, but then they don't have the freedom to wander about and then go into the nest box when they want - not really ideal. He can be quite confrontational so I'm glad it was her and not him (have a feeling it might be him next time) but we did let them know before we got chickens and have given them free eggs now and again. Any advice please x

[clam]

Tell them that you've passed their concerns on to the chickens, who will be discussing it at their next board meeting at 6am tomorrow.

[mineofuselessinformation]

Stop apologising to them. Don't move the chickens.
The next time they complain, tell them you're trying very hard to be reasonable, but are entitled to live your lives too.

[SheerWill]

He just knocked again to say that they were woken up by the chickens and the boiler is still an issue. FFS are we not allowed to heat our house? I'm quite fiery so let dp talk to him, but he is so sweet and compliant that he just nods his head. Do these people honestly expect us to be silent at all times? He also thinks we aren't allowed to keep chickens and that when they come to sell their house it will devalue their property. I checked with DEFRA and you need 50+ birds before you need to officially register (we only have 4). Not sure what else we can do about the boiler as its been seen to by a heating engineer who couldn't see any problems with it. Might stop answering the door.

[LaurieFairyCake]

Unless you live in a bubble chickens are virtually silent compared to road noise, ordinary background noise.

I'd say the boiler has been inspected and is fine, the chickens are fine there and then I'd list a random lot of ordinary household noises they make and then say but of course you can't do anything about them as they're random household noise. Pointedly.

[PartyFops]

Tell them to phone environmental health, they will get told its not a big issue.

[OldLadyKnowsSomething]

Oh no, I remember your thread about the boiler, sorry they're kicking off again.

You could be really evil and get a cockerel. Mine used to crow at 3am - in January.

[ShimmeringInTheSun]

OP - send him round to live here. Both my immediate neighbours have roosters who begin their crowing predawn - and in competition with each other! A week of that and he'll never complain about your chickens again!

But seriously, It sounds like he's a controller and a bully who likes to complain for complaining's sake. So all you can do is decided on a stock phrase answer, and repeat it to him ad infinitum, every time he starts .... just like what mineof says.

You cannot live in a silent world just for his convenience, and even if you did, he'd more than likely find something else to moan about. Were his previous neighbours under his thumb as it sounds like he likes to rule the roost?

So live your life as you wish. You sound a really considerate neighbour to me, so he should think himself lucky.

[NorbertDentressangle]

If they're complaining about your boiler being too noisy then I think the problem is the neighbours and not the chickens!!

I really don't know what to say other than they seem completely unreasonable and if they were to try and complain to the council environmental health/noise people they would get laughed at.

[SheerWill]

Its only the two of them and their dogs, so I think maybe they don't have anything better to do than complain. They never seem to go out anywhere and she only works a couple of evenings as a fitness instructor and is in all the rest of the time. He does work shifts as an electrician, so we try to keep noise down. Our neighbours on the other side have 2 girls and a trampoline so make much more noise, but obviously it's the chickens making noise early in the morning that's the problem. We've put the two noisiest girls in a run in the garage for tonight, and I will let them out about 7am so hopefully they'll be quiet enough. But if they complain again after that I might have to tell them where to go.

[IzzyG03]

Oh my, I have 8 girls and they are silent as anything (unless laying! Then there is the odd squawk).... But I think your neighbours are being unreasonable. We have our chooks, 3 dogs and 2 cats and get on very well with our neighbours... I even sell my free range eggs to them!! Perhaps mention that their dogs barking are annoying to you (and all dogs bark to some degree) ...... Otherwise you ARE allowed to keep chickens. It's not really their business. Good luck and I hope all goes well.

[Pimpf]

They are obviously nuts. Ignore them, let them call environmental Heath, in fact you could give them the number.

[saintlyjimjams]

Bonkers. I hear chickens from my garden (not inside the house) and love the sound. It's hardly intrusive. Maybe speak to the noise people in your council or give him the number to ring. They'll laugh their legs off at him.

[HSMMaCM]

My chickens start clucking like mad as soon as they see me at 7am. Maybe say you are trying to find out what's disturbing them (dogs?).

[FrancesNiadova]

We have chickens, our neighbour has turkeys, they're great. I love to hear the 2 groups of girls gossiping to each other sometimes I join in .

We don't have a cockrel, my youngest DC is desperate for one so that he can call it Elvis (?!), but we thought one would be too noisy. However, our neighbour does have a turkey cock who is wonderful, he fans out his feathers, struts his stuff & his laydeez walk dutifully behind him.

I'd just ignore misery of a neighbour, next time they come over to whinge, could you have something that really irritates you? Kind of, "oh, I'm sorry our hens, heating, breathing, annoy you, it is unintentional. Your car/dog/TV gets on our nerves too, but we try to ignore it in the spirit of being neighbourly. Would you like 1/2 doz fresh eggs?" DON'T throw them

(I usually find 1/2 dozen eggs every now & then when you have a glut softens miserable neighbours.) If only the same could be said for jars of honey & my 2 hives of bees

[mrdarcy005]

My next door but one neighbour has 4 chickens and coupe lots of other birds round but i dont mind them its the COCK im pissed off with. My sleep pattern is destroyd and especially on muggy nights don't help. The trouble is they run a day cresh for kids have a long play tent in the garden too. I have good soundproofing its terrace road quiet neighbours mind due can't complain but that Cock i want to ring its neck. I want to wake up on MY TERMS not the birds terms what can i do .