I live right next door to some neighbors that have four cats, several dogs, a hamster, and recently, chickens. Now, I have nothing whatsoever against animals, or even owning so many. But dang it, we live in a suburb! I live close enough to easily hear those chickens clucking all day, or the dogs howling at some random movement. Not only that, the neighbors are not able to properly take care of the animals to begin with! It’s a single mother with two children, all of which are rarely home, and thus, suprise suprise, don’t get a chance to entertain or exercise the animals, especially the dogs. Honestly, while I find them annoying, I don’t blame the dogs – any dog is going to bark loudly if it’s kept outside or in the garage with little or no attention. I don’t know how one entertains chickens, but I rather doubt they were a good idea to begin with – they don’t even get eggs from the things! What possible purpose do they serve?
And if the chickens are hens, they’re not laying well right now because the days aren’t long enough. Egg laying in domestic hens is a function of length of daylight.
Believe it or not, some people just keep chickens as pets. I don’t see the appeal, but I did have a duck once when I was a kid. No one ever complained about good ol’ Pete though. Until he grew all the way up and started biting the shit out of people, anyway. Then he made a trip to the local park to live there with the other tourist freeloading ducks.
Are the dogs and cats inside or out? Their house must smell like a zoo. :eek:
Ditto on checking out the homeowners association. I know where my parents live down in the 'burbs there’s some kind of arbitrary limit to the number and kind of animals you can keep in the neighbourhood.
Hey, hey, hey! I have four indoor-only cats and three indoor-mostly dogs and my house doesn’t smell like a zoo. Of course we have a dedicated closet for the litter boxes; every Thursday is bath night for the dogs; and we interact with our pets all the time so are aware if they are getting a little odiferous.
I love animals. I think people should have pets–but only if they are able to care for them. Sounds like the OP’s neighbors are in over their heads. And chickens! Chickens suck in the 'burbs or in town. We live right inside the city limits–our side of the street is city, across the street is county. For further confusion, if you go farther up our road, the both sides of the street are city. A couple of years ago, some folks moved in across the street and down a couple of houses (county). They have geese, goats, and chickens. I don’t know if they have a dog and it wouldn’t matter because the geese make so much noise you wouldn’t be able to hear the dog anyway. The goats are quiet, but they piss the geese off. The rooster loves to greet the dawn, which isn’t bad now but when the days are longer…
Call you local township or city zoning board. Most residential areas aren’t zoned for having chickens because they’re such a nuisance…loud/smelly/etc. At the very least, you might be able to force them to get rid of the chickens.
I would also call animal control or the local zoning board or council. If these people are unable to properly look after the animals, that is cause for concern.
About the only thing more annoying and intrusive than a loud neighbor or barking dogs is a homeowner’s association.
A small backyard flock (say, a dozen birds or less) of laying hens aren’t loud or smelly if they are housed and cared for properly. Roosters make a lot of noise at all hours of the day, and will often start “waking up the sun” at 3 am. I certainly wouldn’t blame the neighbors for complaining in that case!
However, chickens (and any other animal, for that matter) left without food, water, or shelter will make their presence and displeasure known. In that case, the OP should get on the horn to the local animal cops and make a complaint.
I’m not sure where you live, but here in Madison many people have chickens. (I’m sure that’s just what Wisconsin needs for it’s image-and no, no one except farmers have cows).
We have a big Hmong population and a lot of them kept them, and the ‘trend’ started. There was never anythign saying you couldn’t. Recently the city passed an ordinance stating it’s ok to have chickens. Luckily no one around me has any-that i can tell anyway.
