To think you should take responsibility for your poultry?

[TheDeuteragonist]

One of our neighbours has recently got a chicken and a rooster. Almost every day they escape or are let out. I'm not sure which because I've never seen anyone chasing them or herding them back in.

Every morning around 7am the rooster cockadoodle-doos. I get that this is what they do and it's not unpleasant unless they are re-enacting chicken run and end up outside our bedroom window. Then it's a bit of a pain.

My biggest concern really is that we don't live in a rural area. Our housing estate backs on to a very busy main road and even so early in the morning there's people driving down our street. Every time I have seen the dynamic duo they've been walking down the road.

Personally, I don't understand why you would decide to keep chickens when you live in a terraced house. But more than that AIBU to think that you should at least accompany your poultry on their morning run or at least take some steps to ensure your garden is more secure to prevent jailbreaks?

That sounds really annoying. I don't get why people keep chickens etc unless they live v rurally or are farmers.

They will end up getting run over or stolen won't they?

Anyone with a big enough garden can keep chickens, you don't need to live somewhere rural! But I totally agree OP that they should make sure they are secure in their own garden.

Well chickens aren't stupid...mine escape now and then and never go near the road. Mine only get out when the postman opens the gate which he has NO need to to but does so sometimes.

I mean...they ARE a bit stupid but somehow they just know not to go on the road. They hang out on the drive.

The rooster in a built up area is just selfish though. Why don't you suggest they chicken wire the chicken's escape route?

Free roast chicken....

How odd! YANBU!

I suspect he lets them out first thing. they put themselves to bed and you just have to lock up as the light fails.

I feel for you though. That rooster is crowing at 7am at the moment but as the mornings get lighter you're in for 4.30am wake up calls.

I keep chickens and I live in a terraced house, had them for about 10 years now. I also make sure my garden is secure, not once have they escaped. (actually that's not true, once they got in to the neighbours garden and the antics that followed trying to catch them was hilarious for all concerned). Also you are not supposed to have a rooster in an urban space, mine are just girls and they don't make much noise at all, in fact my neighbours all love them.
Not saying your wrong about them escaping, that's not on or safe but just felt the need to defend the urban chicken keeper.

Yes they need to secure the garden and stop letting them wander.

Why did the chicken cross the road?

Count yourself lucky. A man down my road has got 6 turkeys. They were babies at the end of last summer, now they are big and very loud. He lives in a terraced house too. I can't believe how little he must care for his neighbours. He takes them all down the road to sit on some grass by the road. I'm just waiting to see one squashed by a car to be honest.

I think your neighbour could be purposefully letting them roam outside his garden so they get more space and exercise. This happens round our way but we're in a rural area.

I don't see a problem with keeping backyard chickens if you're not rural but I would have a massive problem with the rooster, that is incredibly selfish in a built up area and if it's not crowing until 7am then you're lucky, it could get a lot earlier in the summer.

I would hazard a guess that nature will take its course sooner rather than later if they are continually allowed to escape/roam and not kept securely.

Oh dear chickens! Sadly people with no idea get them because they are fashionable.

We previously lived in a rural area and the new people down from London acquired some.

They were not contained and dug up people’s gardens. The owners did not get any eggs as they laid them everywhere. Then the eggs hatched and most of the chicks were cockerels. They started crowing and all times of the morning - 3am for example.

The other aspect of chicken is rats, people who have never had them before do not realise what a rat magnet they are. We kept the rats under control around the stables with a really good rat man, but the novice chicken didn’t ......

Chicken should only be kept in runs with secure coops to keep the foxes out - and there are plenty of urban foxes. All cockerels need to be culled to prevent continuous breeding and the early morning crowing.

They are not suitable for built up areas.

Always get a good rat man around - just because you have not seen them doesn’t mean they are not there.

I think many housing estates have restrictions in the deeds as to keeping farm animals.

They will probably be eaten by foxes if allowed to roam.

Ours roam all day but we're semi rural....and we have a guardian dog. A big Maremma who keeps the foxes away.

Most people here keep chickens though. We never buy eggs, it's great!

Surely the cost of the upkeep and equipment for the chickens would come to way more than a dozen eggs a week?

I don't see the appeal for having them in your back garden.

Even the hens are noisy IME. Suburban houses often have restrictions on keeping hens in the deeds, might be worth checking (though I doubt the council will do anything). Purposefully letting them roam in an urban setting is cruel and having a cockerel is anti social.

Nonsense, I've kept chickens in my urban garden for years. No rats or escaping. You just need a good solid run and house.

The other thing is that they make an awful lot of mess if they free range. We have had hens for about 7 years now but unfortunately last year we had a fox attack and lost them. The DC are wanting to replace them this weekend as an Easter treat. The problem is that we have a lot of land and so feel a bit mean not letting them free range but they like company and so would far rather congregate on the patio and garden furniture next to the house than in the very extensive garden. This means poop everywhere. Plus the kitchen garden is like their favourite coffee shop which is not good news for my veggies...

Realistically they do need to be properly contained (and we can't even see our nearest neighbour)

There's a really steep, fairly busy road that I drive on most days and most days there are two or three chickens in the hedge just centimeters from the road. It makes me stressed that they're going to dart out in front of my car and I'll hit one. They've obviously come through the hedge, I presume their home is on the other side. Why wouldn't you put a fence up to protect them?

On a side note, my husband thinks it's hilarious to pretend he hasn't noticed them and that I'm imagining chickens or 'poultry-geists'. I'm sure you can imagine my face when he uses that one.

They definitely can attract rats in an urban setting. My DP are currently hen sitting my DSis's chickens. They've been hen sitting for the past 9 months (long story). They live in a village in a terrace house and although the hens are in a secure eglu with run and do not free range they now have a rat problem in the garden.

We don't have rats (but we have cats).

Some lucky urban foxes are going to be in for a free yummy chicken dinner before long.

Cloud ours bloody do that! Hang round the patio doors and cluck at me.

We're thinking of making them a massive run, all along one of our fenclines. We also have a lot of land here and this way, ours would be contained (less poo) and stop shouting at people whilst they sit in the garden.

Ours BEG as we have tea at the table in the garden. People like them but who wants a chicken on their lap when they're trying to eat a meal?

Sparkling you don't need any "equipment" We made our chicken house out of scrap. Their feed is cheap and they eat that plus scraps.

@personwithhorse Cockerels get culled?? That's seems mean..

Wait till high summer, that cock will be crowing before 5am and you will be praying it gets run over.

SnooSigh 😂(sorry don’t know how to bold)