[loosey]

Our intention is to try and rescue some ex battery hens for laying and also to breed Plymouth Rocks for meat ... obviously meaning we need a cockerel!

Do you have problems with yours? Do the neighbours complain?

Experiences appreciated!

[plumseverywhere]

We have 11 hens but no cockeral BUT a neighbour does and I think he sounds gorgeous!! I love the noise he makes.
when we moved here a neighbour said "oh you have hens, will you be getting a cockeral?" when I said no she was overly relieved - but then she moans if my children so much as squeal in the paddling pool 

other option is putting a broody on fertilised eggs/buying an inci to hatch your own? you will doubtless get loads of boys!! 

[Helencus]

I got 50% boys from my 1st hatch. I'm no doubt going to eat them but would like to keep 1. My neighbours moan about most things I do so I'm wary of keeping any. A friend up the hill does have one and her neighbours are ok with it I think he sounds great. My son is adamant he wants to keep the biggest boy 'angus' but if they complain I'll have the blumming council back on my case and I really don't want that.. Dilemma! So I'd be interested in others experiences too.

[CameronS]

I don't get complaints about the noise, but i have  problem with my cockerels attacking people coming into the garden outwith the family, such as post men.
 It's not long before someone complains, but really they cockerels are only doing a job.

I would be reluctant to do anything on behalf of a complaint from the postie as he is a horrible little man, who has on numerous occasions lashed out at my boys with his feet, and speeds up in his van to try and hit my birds if they are on the track alongside the house.   

[Sharondp]

I think it depends where you live - all of us on our hill except for one neighbour have cockerels - I think it's a lovely sound, and part and parcel of living in the country. However, my parents live in the 'burbs and their neighbour had a cockerel which was extremele irritating at 5am every morning, so a few neighbours complained and the chap was told to get rid of it.

Maybe worth mentioning it to your neighboours before getting one?

And Cam, I'd be putting in a major complaint about your postman! 

[doganjo]

The noise does carry, remember.  I had to give Jamie away last week because one of my neighbours wasn't getting any sleep - he works shifts so it wasn't even a case of keeping the chooks in till after 9, and Jamie crowed anyway even if there was just a chink of light.  He was going to put up with it I think because he only mentioned the cockerel when i asked if the dogs barking bothered them.  Funnily enough it doesn't seem to carry down the line and across the railway like Jamie's voice did - despite massive Leylandii trees right along the trackside.  That said I think there is a gap beside the chicken run so maybe the sound was getting through there.  Either way, I didn't want to push it as they really are good neighbours and that is worth the weight of any cockerel in gold!  Different if I was breeding, but I just wouldn't do that here no matter how much I wanted to.  To me neighbour relations are worth more than my whims.

[CameronS]

And Cam, I'd be putting in a major complaint about your postman

oh we have    many times

[valantinas]

I have an allotment near houses where we keep chickens.  We are not allowed to keep cockerals due to the noise.  Nothing to stop the neighbours keeping them though!! I'm sure noise knows no bounderies!!

[egbert]

My closest non-related neighbour has a cockeral - he is about quarter of a mile away (no good with distances    ) and I hear him all through the day if I am outside, but I quite like the sound. I can't hear him inside though. I would not be amused if I lived in a street/urban area and the neighbour had one which woke me up - although saying that chances are I would sleep through it after a while anyway 

[Roxy]

I know lots of people with cockerels, who have constant complaints from neighbours about the din.  We are situated down a farm track from where my hens are, but they are very near two farmhouses, and two barn conversions - my hens were there before the two conversions.  We are out in the country, no other houses nearby though.

I have, er .....well, numerous cockerels of various breeds around.  No one has actually put in a formal complaint yet, and not sure it would be upheld, as we are a registered smallholding, and as such can keep livestock, noisy or not!!!  Although the house next door had family visiting, and of the visitors came and asked exactly how many cockerels I had.  I was a bit vague and said 4 ......

[daniellestocks]

Our neighbours have loads of cockerals and hens, phesants and guinea fowl  (probably around 100-150?)which never shut up, but you get used to the noise so it doesnt really effect us, altho we do have a pack of 50 beagles, 7 terriers, 6 trail hounds a spaniel and a retreiver! so when they all start singing you know about it! but still never wakes me up   

[doganjo]

What on earth do you do with all those beagles Danielle?

[Roxy]

I have heard the local hunt hounds when they start their calling - could probably give the cockerels a run for their money, that noise!!!
Come to think of it, when our six farm dogs start barking all at once, thats quite a racket.

I have a busy railway just up the field, and I never notice it, except when its quiet at night.  I would think people get used to noises, and soon become oblivious .....unless its a cockerel it seems.

[daniellestocks]

They are the Amplforth Beagles hunt, my father in law is kennel man and they rent out the kennels here
They moved here last year and refurbed the old kennels, as he retired from Farndale Huntsman/ joint master 2 years previously we had 40ish Fox hounds then
We are in a caravan atm whilst the house is getting build for us, and we are say 40 yards away? and never wake up (me, oh and 2 young children), but there has been a formal complaint from the neighbours, (who lived nextdoor when the hounds were here), but decided now the beagles are here they are disturbing       

[plumseverywhere]

I think my hens are noisier than a cockeral when they've started laying in the morning!! its a constant "buck buck buckuk" for at least 3 hours  every now and then I bung the neighbours half a dozen huge brown eggs as a sweetner! (in a box of course    )