Anonymous note about cockerels

[Nooz]

Next door have got 5 cockerels.

Council have confirmed they have served a noise abatement order and to keep the noise abated in until 8:30 every day, (but they do still crow in their shed from first light only it's less loud).

Next step court but council say that's highly unlikely due to cost

The cockerels are very loud from quite a distance and continues 12 hrs a day. This the middle of the village probably 30 plus properties near by.

Now an anonymous letter has arrived to me and everyone else nearby from someone in the village. It says the noise has devalued their home and has an sae inside inviting us to write to the cockerel owners en mass to let them know what the community thinks

Would you send an anonymous letter?

I have not spoken to them face to face for fear of his reaction. The owners are hillbillies, she is retired, sweet her step-son angry by default and a convicted ketamine dealer. It's very poorly kept, own their house, ex council, have 30-40 hens too.

It does affect us badly. Is this a 'community voice' opportunity or morally wrong to write anonymous notes to neighbours?

Trying to cut through the dilemma so turning to Msnet for stoic wisdom!

Any thoughts really appreciated! Thank you

Cross posted with your reply op. It sounds like your council are giving you the brush off. Have you checked the local byelaws about chicken keeping? -there might be something there. I find it unbelievable that someone should be allowed to cause such a nuisance.

I would encourage the complainants to write to their MP to put pressure on the council to carry out their duty. In the meantime, start looking for a good recipe for Coque au Vin!

We have a range of plans to survive this that span many ideas, including a giant chicken vacuum pipe to pluck them off Wallis and Grommit style.

Mostly I wear earphones all the time and keep the windows shut. I have teenagers, it looks normal to thru.

This letter at least shows me we are not alone in going slightly mad

Thank you all so much for helping step away x

*them

As we understand it cockerel noise is very hard to take enforcement against due to the competing issues of legislation providing a basic right to keep poultry.

You probably need specialist advice and unless you have deep pockets an undertaking from everyone suitably motivated to split the bill.

We have cockerels and wouldn’t be doing anything for an anonymous letter. If my next door neighbour (who is a very nice chap) was bothered however I would seal up the coop to avoid light getting them going until they are let out in the morning.

WTAF?! Keeping Cockerels is just torture to the poor Neighbours! Obviously no one wants to think of the poor Cockerels being killed ,but surely as a PP said there are places that would rehome them? As far as anonymous letters go, then surely they must be illegal anyway? Best to write to them all together as a group signed and dated and see if that helps at all?

There are places which rehome cockerels. As someone who raises a batch or two of chicks a year I have never heard of anywhere that rehomes cockerels. We usually keep 1 cockerel to the next year. the rest are eaten when they start to fight each other too aggressively. it’s not pleasant but they have a massively better life than commercial birds.

Not that this is OPs problem.

OP it’s always best to be honest and up front about these things. Do you think your neighbours would be ok if you talked to them?

EHO must have the power to take it further. There is no point in serving a notice if it can just be ignored!

I agree with others. All write to the Council, all write to your local Councillors and all write to your MP. I have worked in Councils - there is nothing like a tenacious local Councillor and a letter from the MP to get things moving 😉

No to the anonymous letters, it is a ridiculous idea. Collectively write to your parish council (if you are in a U.K. village) don’t take no for an answer and keep the pressure on.

Absolutely 100% no. Write to them, yes, but sign the letter.

Thanks everyone, pretty clear cut. I do feel sorry for the letter sender but am glad the Msnet wisdom is clear on this.

I've just looked up my local councillor who I find lives quite close.

I'll write an email to him today and send it tomorrow in office hours.

I'll speak to my neighbour if she happens to go by on the back of the letter, I can't believe they've ignored an order. I'll gently ask if that's true!?

Other than that I'll keep my earphones in x

My neighbour in Lewisham kept them. You do get used to them I find.

How long do they live? Is there any chance of an agreement that as they die they're not replaced?

Alternatively, enter Mr Fox

Is it possible that the person has lived in the village for 60 years - or is it more likely to be somebody that moved in fairly recently and, like those who complain about church bells, cows or the noise from the pub three doors down that they knew was there when they bought it, was entirely oblivious to the possibility that living in a rural area does not mean living in complete silence?

They should be put down. Keeping cockerels in an urban environment is a noise nuisance and very disrespectful of the neighbours.

Hens are wonderful pets. Cockerels are a nightmare.

Oh come on @MitziK no-one that lives NEXT DOOR to other people (unless next door is a farm 100m away) should be keeping FIVE cockerels and taking steps with the light to keep them quiet.

*not taking

Going again repeatedly to the Council sounds like a plan.

Isn’t that daily racket a Breach of the Peace, so the police could get involved?

Are they local authority or HA tenants? There should be rules about the conditions they can stay in one if their properties?

People are so inconsiderate sometimes. I had neighbours with hens (they did make noise but not as bad as cockerels) and we all had rats. It was awful. I didn’t mind the hens. I minded the rats very much. Disgusting things.

Hey think yourself lucky ! My friend lives near a housing estate (but is rural, definitely a rural property - they've ponies, and chickens etc.). They had a late developer from a hatching - seemed to be very hen like so was not despatched for dinner like the other cockerels. So he went on and started crowing for a month or so till he too got despatched.
They had a complaint THREE MONTHS after his demise!

Don't do that.
But get legal advice, council, MP etc involved. Legitimate means
Not cowardly anonymous letters.

In UK, if the anonymous "someone" claims their house is devalued, that suggests they want to sell it. If they put it on the market, they are legally required to declare any current disputes between themselves and neighbours.
And noise nuisance surely will deter buyers.

No doubt that is why they are so keen on anonymity, and why they want other people to make the complaint.

I had neighbours with hens (they did make noise but not as bad as cockerels) and we all had rats. It was awful. I didn’t mind the hens. I minded the rats very much. Disgusting things.

We put down rat bait to kill rats. You have to be very careful where you put rat bait as its lethal to birds.

anonymous notes aren't done in the playground, but in this real-life situation with a violent druggie next door I'd like to see any of you lot reveal who you are.

they lose all rights when they disturb the neighbours so morals don't come into it.

you could raise a complaint with the council as someone is not doing their job here. They tend to be bone idle when it comes to noise nuisance, they DO have powers.

know anyone with a shotgun? For the birds, of course. At least they aren't protected unlike sodding dogs.

aha, plan B. Rat poison, job done.

Try reporting to environmental health on the basis of hygiene and also noise especially if you have rats, and the APHA as you have to be registered with them to have over 50 chickens. If they are just over 50 and APHA take an interest they may at least get rid of a couple of cockerels. Also, do you have a parish council? You could try raising it with them.

The council have not reached the limit of their powers.

They have just reached the limit of what they are prepared to do. Your letter to the councillor is a better idea than to the cockerel owners.