Cockerel - anti-social?

[aircooled]

Our new neighbours have moved in with a selection of fowl - hens and ducks - and they seem to think WE are being unreasonable by objecting to their cockerel who now wakes us (and other people) from 5am each morning. We don't mind the other birds burbling away during the day. Opinions please!

Well the main reason we didn't get a cockerel was to spare our neighbours (even though one side are noisy gits I didn't want to sink to their level!) so I don't think you are unreasonable. Then again we have a suburban(ish) garden (it's by the Downs but we only have a small garden with neighbours each side) so we have to be fair. I suppose you might be unreasonable if you're in a really rural area where people expect to be able to keep fowl and you all have acres of garden between your houses but I'm guessing that's not the case?

Thanks Pixel, you sound like the sort of neighbour we need!

It is rural but we don't have acres of land - the birds are just the other side of the hedge at the top of the garden. Not too far from my bedroom window!

I miss the cockerel that was at the end of next doors' garden, but I'm an early waker and used to gloat if I 'beat' him by already being awake. I liked the noise he made. But sometimes I think the neighbours kept him in a shed as he didn't always crow until 8 ish. Or maybe he was idle.....

I empathise though if you aren't an early riser, I'm sure others will be complaining too.

And he used to lead his harem of 'ladies' into my garden to dig it up, and then bugger off and leave them flapping in the hedge trying to follow him. Then the cat got involved and mayhem ensued. Kind of miss those times - sorry, not being helpful

Could you suggest they put a timer door on the coop to keep him inside till sensible o'clock in the mornings?

If it helps you do get used to it and get to the point where it won't disturb you!

I fear in a town it is antisocial. We hatched out some chicks last year and two of them turned out to be boys. We kept them until they started crowing, and then tried to rehome them, as although I liked the sound not everyone does. We had to cull them as we couldn't find anyone to take them, and it's put me off ever hatching out chicks again - very sad.

I have a cockerel.

He never wakes us.We 'tuned' him out quickly.

We are in the country though, and I think anyone would be hard pushed to argue that it's anti social to have him with our few neighbours.

No one has complained!

We did,however, site the henhouse in the farthest corner away from our immediate neighbour.