[doganjo]

Might be worth visiting a breeder and listening to the different sounds they all make?

One of the first things I said on this thread was were there some breeds quieter than others?  Anyone know the answer?

[arobwk]

'Tis such a shame folk can be intolerant of roosters crowing.  Back in the day when country folk were actually country folk, it was simply not a matter for discussion.  Plenty of folk kept mixed flocks around the village and neighbours accepted that:  my father was a shift-worker and we lived opposite a keeper of loads of chickens (mainly bantam game though).  Can't remember my father ever once complaining about having his irregular sleep patterns disturbed by cockerels crowing. 
Most folk get used to anything over time, but unfortunately some folk are not prepared to. 


(That said, not sure I should wish to live next door to a "skateboard park": that would be annoying for anyone who doesn't ride a skateboard !!! )

[Baggins11]

Doganjo I would also be interested in hearing if some breeds tend to be quieter - you would think there might be a general pattern. 

I live in Herefordshire and although I love the idea of borrowing or sharing a cockerel I am not sure how feasible it would be in practice.  Part of the reason I am interested in breeding is improving on a breed and I don't think that would be so easy if you have the constraints of not being able to house the cockerels and potentially culling them if you can't keep them for long.

I have some chicks indoors at the moment and the breeder I got them from breeds mainly marans and cream legbar.  The cockerels were certainly making themselves heard both times I have visited.

Yes arobwk give me a cockerel over a skateboard park any day!

[Perris]

I don't know about the breed making a difference, but in my experience individual cockerels vary. Of 4 to date, 1 crowed on and off right through the night, right through the year. None of the others have done that. The pita was an Araucana, if breed is important.
I would not share/borrow birds because it would seriously compromise any biosecurity you or the other party try to keep.
Is your coop mobile? Could you try it in different locations around the field? Can you put it somewhere where there is a large dense shrub or other sound barrier between it and the noise-sensitive neighbours?

[Steph Hen]

Smaller ones, bantams, sablepoots are a higher pitch, I find this tone really cutting whereas the louder welsommers and marrans have a nicer tone though more noise.  That’s why I think it might be worth Baggins visiting a breeder, walking round and listening.
Perris is totally right about individuals making different amounts of noise. And more cocks in earshot means more crows, and it travels so far that they have a competition. They’ll crow to a hooting owl or any loud noise.

Here’s another idea; one of these white noise machines in his blacked out, sound proofed sleeping quarters, so he doesn’t hear all that and feel the need to answer back?

[Baggins11]

Yes we have a moveable hen house so could try different locations initially.    I was thinking about growing a dense bush or hedge to reduce noise.  Although it will take a while to grow so won't be an immediate improvement.

We also have a dense bush between us and the neighbours and our land is sloped so the birds would be on slightly lower ground than the neighbours house so I hope that would help.  I don't know much about how sounds travels though so not sure about this.

I love the idea of white noise Steph!  That and dim lights on til 1am sounds worth trying- not sure if these things would have a negative impact on the birds though.  I will do a bit of reading and see what I can find.

[doganjo]

I'm not 100% sure but doesn't sound increase as it rises?

[Eve]

Bouncing a ball on concrete would drive many neighbours around the bend, and for most house buyers being too near a school is a definite dealbreaker. Then there’s the other noises coming from your side early morning such as your lawnmower... Maybe they’re not that sound sensitive, as you say you live in a little hamlet where every noise is heard and where people move to for peace and quiet.

Just to give some background why I advised to think again: a cousin of mine had a cockerel, similar reasoning to yours as to why she should be able to keep one but completely ignored the fact that, although living fairly rural, her neighbours were not miles away but right next door. Neighbours complained about the cockerel and she refused to rehome him. She found the cockerel dead one day, not a death by natural causes...   
From what you’re saying you have more sense than my cousin     but it’s the neighbourly relations you were concerned about and once people get sufficiently annoyed with you that isn’t easily reversed.

I fully agree with you regarding the cockerel collars, they’re cruel, but the insulated coop, providing it has enough air for the cockerel all night, sounds like a good idea. Would that also work when you are on holiday and someone else looks after your birds and would need to lock him in and out? Automatic popholes can and do fail, unfortunately, though if your run is fox proof and the pophole only for the coop that wouldn’t be a drama.


It’s a shame you have people trespassing onto your land, maybe some barbed wire might convince them otherwise? A camera with a video link and speakers hidden in a hedge so you can scare the hell out of trespassers?   (And post the results on here!  )

Any chance of bribing, I mean thanking, your neighbours with eggs?

I have a poland hen that can crow like any cockerel, btw, but the volume is definitely lower than of large fowl. You don’t fancy raising bantams, by any chance?


The good thing is, if it all goes wrong you can dispatch the boy yourself    I’ve lost count of the number of cockerels I’ve been offered because owners thought they wouldn’t crow early / loudly..


Wish I had land, I’d opt for sheep...

[Baggins11]

Just to clarify Eve my children were playing netball not basketball so it's not constant bouncing a ball and they only play for short periods on the yard as they have a whole field to use as a playground. They are not noisy kids and we do hear more noise coming from the neighbours than they will hear from us.

Also everyone cuts their grass don't they!?! I have never ever done anything like that before 8.30 am but have once done it before 9 which was when they brought it up.  Since then I have waited until 10am so there is not lots of early morning noise coming from us!

I didn't mention it originally as I didn't think it relevant but they play lots of loud music and have parties that I am very tolerant of. I do think it should be give and take.

And sheep don't really interest me (and interest my dog far too much) but I will be getting some goats. We always had goats growing up and I love their character.  Just got to figure how to fence them in.. but that's another story.

[arobwk]

Well, [member=192121]Baggins11[/member] - I see no reason why you should tolerate loud music and noisy parties when your neighbours are trying to curb your activities.  However, rather than ask them to turn the music down, I would suggest you arrange the noisiest party you can manage soon (social distancing permitting) and wait for them to complain !  Remind them of their own noisy activities AND then go buy at least two cockerels the very next day! 


 

[Perris]

I didn't mention it originally as I didn't think it relevant but they play lots of loud music and have parties that I am very tolerant of. I do think it should be give and take.

next time, record it, and if there are any further noise complaints from them, play it back to them. Indeed it should be give and take.

[harmony]

I don't think that light makes any difference to cock birds. My son spent continuous nights until late working on a machine respray in one end of a building with the lights on and the cockerels still crowed at the same time in the morning.


You don't really want to get into a entrenched battle with your neighbours or a tit for tat about their noise and yours although they seem very sensitive to your noise and insensitive about their own. Maybe they are not morning people because they stay up late partying 


I think I would sort out the fencing and trespass issue first so you can place your chooks further away.  Sound proof as best you can. I can see a separate box for him and hers is a pain as you will have to put him in his every night .


Whilst writing this 10.45am my cockerel has crowed twice!

[Baggins11]

Yes harmony I don't want to get in a battle with them I think we just live in 2 different time zones! The parties are not too much trouble as it's not too noisy if we are in the house. The loud music in the garden during the day is more annoying as it's really not my style!

I think the trespassing issue should be my priority. Not least because our dog is very protective of our plot and has got to the trespassers first on a couple of occasions. I called her down easy enough and I am sure they won't make the mistake of 'accidentally' trespassing again but I would hate her to bite someone and then be put down.

[Eve]

I didn't mention it originally as I didn't think it relevant but they play lots of loud music and have parties that I am very tolerant of. I do think it should be give and take.

You didn’t think that was relevant?? That changes the whole story!! Get your cockerel, fence in your land and let your dog loose on it (and if you ever need to explain yourself in court, don’t think anything is not relevant and leave it out as -in the nicest possible way- you’re not the best at writing your defence! )

So the question now is, which cockerel to get?

[Baggins11]

I wouldn't make a good lawyer tis true 

I have a lovely cream legbar boy indoors at the moment who has a very calm temperament (I am trying not to get attached). He would be half brother to his girls so I am not sure where that stands. I have read about sibling breeding and father daughter but couldn't find any info on half sibling breeding. Would that work ok?

Otherwise I would have to get a cock in  from another breeder but I chose the breeder carefully when i got the eggs so it would be good if I didn't need to do that. Also it would be one less bird to dispatch.