Will I get into Loads of TROUBLE?

[village idiot]

For the past three days, at least One of the Four cockerels we have (There are 4 chicks and 4 cockerels) has started crowing early in the morning.
He starts his song (cock-a-doodool-do) at exactly six am sharpiest and unfailingly. Does at least five crows, then repeats same exactly every 30 minutes there after?

My worry is will the neighbours get to the point where they will shop me to the council?
If they do, is there any action the council can take?
People keep dogs that bark at all hours, so I do not see what the trouble is? Besides, at 6am, most peeps should be up anyway.

BTW, I was not responsible for buying the cockerels. The missus brought them home when they were just two weeks old and it never occured to me that because their colour was ''whitish'', they would grow up to be cockerels. But being the house is mine and all bills in my name, I suspect if there is a problem, I will be the one taking the can.

 

[Killy Bing]

Chicken pie.

 

[village idiot]

My missus said same, but I am worried the cockerels are now classed as pets as they have been known to the kids for all this while.

 

[Nostrum]

If I lived near you, I'd be pizssed off...

 

[tamz]

It will be in your title deeds if you can keep them.
Just pull the heads off the cockrels and get some new hens.
Tell her a fox got them.

Btw you can't tell if they are cockrels until they are about 4 weeks old

 

[Alex Knight]

We have bantams at ours, one cockerel which apparently makes a racket in the morning, I sleep right through it lol

 

[Howsie]

Why not speak to your neighbours and get their view on it?

 

[tamz]

Why not speak to your neighbours and get their view on it?

If they are big guys maybe best not to in case they pull the head off you :lol:

 

[Bunker]

My neighbour got a cockerel. It was the most selfish thing he could do. The only reason I didnt shoot it is he would probably shoot my cat, then I would have to shoot his wife (dog anyway).
You have to have some insane neighbours if they are forgiving about yapping dogs and cockerels.
Wait until the days get lighter and they start up at 0400 like we had this summer, I am still traumatized and now need to get my therapist on her 24hr help line.........
In the end he got rid of it as after 3 months of me phoning him between 0400 and 0600hrs (they slept with their windows closed, ours are always open), he got the message.

If you read between the lines of my vague response, you may find I am slightly against the idea.

 

[IND_Nick]

I believe you can get I trouble with environmental health as it comes under noise pollution if a few people start complaining. I would definitely try and smooth it over with the neighbours. Tell them you'll supply some eggs when the girls start laying, that may smooth things out, ha!

 

[village idiot]

Why not speak to your neighbours and get their view on it?

Much as that sounds like a good idea, my worry is that if I ask for their opinion, I may be giving them a Stick to beat me with.

I do admit the whole scenario is a selfish one, but this was not my idea. The missus is responsible for this debacle. But seeing someone on here has pointed out that it is not possible to know they are cockerels till after Four weeks, I am beginning to mellow down my anger towards her for attempting to get us a bad reputation with the neighbours. If I can manage to get to Xmas, I will just chop off their necks on the 24th and tell missus to use as turkey.

 

[tamz]

You can tell quicker if you are a black belt in hens but normally the first sign you get is when they wake you at 4 in the morning.

I don't think Ladbrooks would take the bet on them lasting until Christmas :lol:

 

[village idiot]

The hens THREE of them have been laying for over four months now. The cockerels came in a batch of five. One turned out to be a hen and has not started laying yet.

I had to design a seperate pen for the five, but every day (or most days), we open their various pens to let them mingle together. Up to two weeks ago, the three old girls use to harrass the other five, especially the young hen. But now, the cockerels are in a hurry to get out so they can mate with the three old 'girls'. I wonder why they are not mating with the young hen?
Yesterday and today, the three old hens are now ganging up on the cockerels and pecking them off each other when an attempt to mate commences.

The whole thing is hilarious.

 

[lame plumber]

buy a peacock, then the neighbours wont notice the cockerels making any noise

 

[Howsie]

People five doors down used to have one, now that was loud but not very frequent.

 

[SafeGasInstall]

Enjoy them as long as you are happy to have them with you ! One life , enjoy it as much as you can V.I

 

[julesverne]

if your neighbours have double glazing they prob wont hear them anyway this time of years. but i like the idea of chicken pie shame summers over you could roast em on the barbie . Also i aint no expert but 4 cokerels, wont they start fighting when they start to mature. get rid quick if you ask me it may be kinder in the long run.

 

[SafeGasInstall]

if your neighbours have double glazing they prob wont hear them anyway this time of years. but i like the idea of chicken pie shame summers over you could roast em on the barbie . Also i aint no expert but 4 cokerels, wont they start fighting when they start to mature. get rid quick if you ask me it may be kinder in the long run.

I agree my grand mother used to have like 1 cockerel per 10-15 chickens

 

[village idiot]

if your neighbours have double glazing they prob wont hear them anyway this time of years. but i like the idea of chicken pie shame summers over you could roast em on the barbie . Also i aint no expert but 4 cokerels, wont they start fighting when they start to mature. get rid quick if you ask me it may be kinder in the long run.

That is what I believe would happen. But for now, it is the youngest of the four who terrorizes the older three. The most mature of them hides when pecked by the young one. But I am sure once they all bloom, there will be constant fighting for the ladies. Another problem I have is that now the females have started being serviced by the cockerels, if I ''eat'' all the cockerels, the hens will be left with pent up desires that cannot be fulfilled. So come xmas, I will spare the most mature of the cockerels

 

[village idiot]

I think I now have the answer to my problems with the crowing cockerel.
A friend has adviced me to cut off its tongue. He says if I do this, the cockerel will be unable to crow and my neighbours will sleep peacefully. RESULT. Well, I will find out if this is true once I have cut its tongue.

 

[Masood]

I think I now have the answer to my problems with the crowing cockerel.
A friend has adviced me to cut off its tongue. He says if I do this, the cockerel will be unable to crow and my neighbours will sleep peacefully. RESULT. Well, I will find out if this is true once I have cut its tongue.

Are you serious?! You can't cut the poor sod's tongue out! Better to wring his neck and shove him in the oven for Sunday lunch!

 

[village idiot]

Are you serious?! You can't cut the poor sod's tongue out! Better to wring his neck and shove him in the oven for Sunday lunch!

I did suspect there was something cynical in his advise but thought to keep quite about it and try it out.
But after reading your post, I think it's heading for the pot this weekend. I'll make sure kids have no idea its one of the ones in the pen. Must wake up early Saturday or Sunday morning and sort this out.

 

[lame plumber]

hens dont need cocks to lay eggs, dont see cockerels in battery farms