[ellisr]

I have 4 cockerals that need new homes due to a neighbour trying to get me to move and reporting them to the council, but everyone else in the hamlets being fine to keep cockerals.

1 x Buff Orp
2 x Mottled orps
1 x cream crested

[Hilarysmum]

Sorry for your difficulty.  What could the council do if you don't move them on?

[ellisr]

They have already started proceeding to take me to court

[Roxy]

Sorry to hear about your bother with the neighbour.  I have 8 cockerels of various breeds around the place, and some of the young silkies are turning into boys too.  Bearing in mind we were there before two of the neighbours, because they converted farm barns, there is also two houses next to the field.  We live down the farm track!!!

No one has ever said anything, or reported me, although I was ready for it happening. Except a visitor, who one morning enquired as to how many roosters I had.  My reply .....3.  Well, he was a townie, and would not know a cockerel from a hen.

Are they in a field, or your garden?  I would say if its a smallholding and a field, there is not much anyone can do surely?  A residential area, probably yes, if there are enough complaints.

When you say the neighbour is trying to get you to move - why exactly??

[ellisr]

We live in a rented smallholding and he thinks that it should only be for horses as there is an old stable block that you can't get a horse into.

I have hid the pigs and he can frequently be heard complaining about the cockerals when actual in is a chicken laying an egg in the barn. There are another 6 cockerals in the hamlet and no complaints have been made against any except mine.

he came to the door aout 6 months ago and said to my face that I should be moving on as I had been here 6 months (bearing in mind this guy is a townie and only lived here 4 weeks before me), but in the eyes of the law that is irrelevant and because he has complained they have to act. I was asked to move them further up so I did and still that didn't satisfy the neighbour.
When I go up the fields to see to any of the animals he stands at the upstairs window watching me it is creepy, his wife tried complaining to the estate agent about the garden saying it wasn't tended, it only happened that at that time I was standing in the garden with the landlady who was comenting on how nice we had it.

So I don't want to have to cull these boys as they are good breeding birds and just want to find homes for them before the end of next week.

[Roxy]

What the heck has it got to do with the neighbour how long you should be living there for?  Did he do it with the previous tenants?  And the same about your garden, none of his business.

When you rented the smallholding, are there are rules saying you cannot keep pigs, hens etc?  If not, why hide your pigs - they are entitled to be there!!  I take it the neighbour lives very close?  If the landlady has no problem with what you keep on the land, thats fine.

I think its terrible that you feel so intimidated by this person.  You will be getting no enjoyment from having your smallholding will you?

I would rehome the cockerels, and then tell him you are renting the place, and can keep what you want in terms of livestock.

Just had a thought - is he making trouble, so that he himself can have the smallholding?

[ellisr]

Roxy hunni he was only here a few weeks before me so the last tenants had left and the property was empty. I had a sneaky look over his fence whilst fixing the roof on the field shelter and it is a building site, his house was built on land that previously was a smallholding.
I now spend very little time outside as he watches and sits behind the fence listening even my friend has taken her horses away from the field as he was watching her every time she crossed the field. I have public footpath gates that have been left open recently so that the lambs get into the barley field, I came in from work one night and the field gates were all standing open sheep and horse wandering merrily. The goose pen and chicken pens have been opened and stock let out so I have had to padlock everything.
I actually have grazing rights with the property which covers the home paddock and fields but the coucil say this doesn't matter if they are considered a nuisance by making noise.
He even made a comment one day about the new lambs baaa'ing for there mums

[Roxy]

Well, he sounds to have a problem, and nothing better to do, if he is watching your every move.  If he does not like livestock, he should not live where there are fields.  As far as I can see, its only the cockerels he can object to, other livestock can make noise, smells etc......like I said, if he don't like it, then he can move (you can live in hope, eh?)

[ellisr]

I definately live in hope

[little blue]

just wanted to say its such a shame your having neighbour trouble.... why do people live in rural places then complain?!
hope you find good homes for your boys

[Hilarysmum]

Fight fire with fire, complain and complain and complain about him.  Find a big beefy friend, preferably with a motor bike to sit outside his fence and make him feel intimidated.  Get some binoculars (even child plastic ones) and stand and look directly at him watching you.  Make sure he sees you taking notes.  Then get on to the council and give it your best.  Tell them his holding is a building site, encouraging vermin etc. etc.  Dont be intimidated.  And since when were horses classed as farm (smallholding) animals?

Rant over  _sorry]

[ellisr]

Rant away hun I could scream as my breeding of chickens has totally gone down the drain I must have lost about £10k in chick sale this year which is a huge part of my income, and strangely 2 cockerals just dropped dead and my old kind gander was poisoned.
I do fear what will happen to my animals sometimes but have a good neighbour otherside that does watch and help.
The naughty neighbours wife even tried to gossip about me at a coffee morning and tel people I was having an affair until someone who knows me pointed out that the guy she was on about was my best friend and gay. Honest some people need a hobby.

[little blue]

Honest some people need a hobby.

your neighbours have ..... watching and talking about you!!!

[ellisr]

Yeah but that isn't a nice hobby and has reduced me to tears on some occasions

[TheCaptain]

Ellisr, I'm shocked at your story and it truly upsets and annoys me to hear people that have these issues!  Our next door neighbours complain about cows mooing (not mine - I havent quite ventured into Bovine yet) to which my reply was 'you live in the countryside, miles from anywhere, surrounded by fields.  What did you expect???'  I suspect we'll have issues once my lads start a-crowing!

Where abouts are you?  I can always come around and stare at him if you like!  If you haven't already done so, start documenting everything and report him for harrassment.  Get your friend who kept horses to back you up.  I know there's no law against staring at people but I find this just creepy.  Like I say, power to the people, well, smallholder - I'll more than happy help out if you're near to me.

P.S.  I could probably arrange for a tank to get conveniently 'lost' and get it parked outside his house for a bit.  They have a nasty habit of breaking down, and what with the cuts in defence it could be a while before it was fixed.  Give him something else to stare at!