Feathers are flying in towns and cities nationwide as fed-up homeowners made more than 500 complaints in the past year about being woken up by rowdy roosters. The unwanted wake-up calls have driven suburban dwellers clucking mad since a surge in chickens being kept in back gardens to provide eggs during Covid lockdowns.
Some have also turned them into coops to combat the cost-of-living crisis. There are 1.5 million chickens being kept in the gardens according to the Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association. Records show 519 complaints were lodged with councils about the nuisance. But this is believed to be just the tip of the iceberg as the majority of local authorities asked for details in a Freedom of Information request said they could not provide accurate figures as they don’t record chickens and cockerels as a separate category.
The areas with the most complaints were Bradford, with 52 logged by officials, followed by Birmingham, with 31; Manchester, 27; Derby, 23; and Rotherham and Bexley, in London, with 18 each. John Stewart, chair of the UK Noise Association, said: “It might sound trivial but these chickens and cockerels can drive people crazy.
“People should think about the impact on their neighbours before they even consider keeping poultry in a city.” Councils warn people that if they keep poultry – and in particular a cockerel – they have a duty to ensure they do not cause a nuisance to neighbours, and breaching a noise ban could land them with a £5,000 fine.
Owners are advised to put chickens and cockerels in a coop with blackened windows and not to let them out until 7.30am during the week and 8.30am at weekends. A Local Government Association spokesperson said: “In most cases people should first approach their neighbour directly. If the problem continues, residents can report the issue to their local council.”
