50 roosters

[Lolly2004]

Long post.
I live in a very rural area zoned ag with no county rules regarding noise/nuisance/number of fowl. A year ago my neighbor decided to start raising roosters to sell, he has around 50. They are kept in individual pens and he only has roosters. The pens are about 450 feet from my doorstep. There are trees and a county road between us. Animal control (not called by me), has been out there and he is doing nothing wrong/illegal. County is aware and nothing to be done.
I am literally about to lose my sanity. They crow nonstop for about 15 hours a day. There is zero auditory peace and I feel almost trapped inside anymore.
We’ve offered to build our neighbor a barn, put up a noise blocking fence on his property, all at our expense, but he will not work with us. We’ve offered to buy his property, we’ve offered to buy out the roosters with a clause he can’t have more.
We are not rich people, but our sanity is worth doing any of these things. And I don’t even know if a barn or fence would work but we’ve sincerely offered and would 100% build either or both.
We cannot move because the noise makes us unsellable and we have health issues in our family that make it impossible right now anyway.
Before anyone wants to be negative towards me, let me send you a recording from my yard and you listen to it nonstop every time you open your windows or step outside. I don’t care if he has 100 roosters, I just don’t want to hear them from 5am to after dark. Also, he works during the day and doesn’t have to listen to them.

We thought about a fence on our side of the county road with a mass loaded vinyl type cover but I think that would work better closer to the roosters on his property.
The advice we got from the county is to file a civil nuisance claim against him. I don’t love that idea because we’ve always been cordial until now and honestly I hate confrontation. And I hear these are hard to win anyways.
Any suggestions for how to contain the noise are so, so welcome. Im crying as I write this. I care for my handicapped/palliative care daughter at home and there’s not a single time during the day we can sit outside and enjoy the sunshine/breeze/morning/evening without roosters crowing. I know this is unnecessary information but I really just can’t take this anymore.

 

[MickWithChicks]

We’ve offered to build our neighbor a barn, put up a noise blocking fence on his property, all at our expense, but he will not work with us.

The advice we got from the county is to file a civil nuisance claim against him.

Re-offer to build the barn/fence. If it's a no, get the no in writing. Then file the claim.

Being cordial is one thing, but his non-acceptance to comprimise and work with you leads to a civil nuisance claim being the only alternative. Let them know if they won't work with you you'll have to file the nuisance claim.

Say you don't want to, you're willing to work with them, and they have 48 hours from the time of writing to respond in writing, else you'll file the claim. You don't really have much choice.

 

[ShrekDawg]

That sounds awful! I’m sorry.

 

[SourRoses]

I don't think anyone here would be negative toward you (hopefully).
We (most) have chickens so we know they can get annoying sometimes and your case sounds like all the time.

When there are many roosters in close proximity, they get into contests crowing, and yes that can last all day.
A sole rooster does the requisite dawn crowing and perhaps an isolated crow here & there during the day. Because he feels secure his voice has been heard, and no one argued, he settles down.
A few roos together in one flock leads to a bit more crowing, but still tolerable.
More than that and, especially with limited territory, they get insecure, they're basically yelling at each other over who is the biggest, best, and owns the space. They hate to have their voices covered by another, so they just keep going.
We have a dozen roos (most temporarily for breeding) in separate areas with hens, so there is more noise than we would like, especially in the morning, but there is still some peace to be found.
It sounds like you've lost every bit of peace, and you're right to be upset about it.

When our boys get really insistent, out comes the hose on jet (over the distance to reach them it turns into just a rainy sprinkle). It does the trick.
There are some jet sprayers meant to deter deer and other wildlife. Some are motion activated and some are on an intermittent timer.
I wonder if you set those up on your own property, say attached to trees at the edge, if there's anything that would block an isolated shower falling on the roos? It would work best if they didn't get rained on when they were being quiet (perhaps an on/off water valve in easy reach on your side of the water line). Remember the idea isn't to torture them, just to deter them from torturing you.

I would also pursue the legal action. When people have space to choose from and choose to put their livestock as far from themselves as possible and therefore closer to the neighbors, it's a total jerk move. We had a neighbor do that and their rooster would hang out at the fence crowing pointedly at ours all day, which kept ours riled up.

If the legal claim doesn't work, there is a nuclear option. Go find the loudest, biggest speakers you can with the funds you would have used on those compromise solutions. Either weatherproof or if those aren't big enough make them a little shelter. Set up on the edge of your own property, and blast your favorite music during the hours your neighbor is home. Some places have a noise ordinance that kicks in at a certain hour, say 10pm. In which case you would want them to turn off at 9:59pm.

 

[The Moonshiner]

This is a tough one without knowing your neighbor.
I might be that guy. I'm also in a very rural area zoned ag with no county rules regarding noise/nuisance/number of fowl. But I can easily have 200+ roosters at times and although I do sell some I'd rather keep.as many as I can.
I moved here just for the lack of restrictions. For me the worse thing someone could do is start filing complaints about something that isn't restricted or against me for something that is totally in my rights at this location. That would just be game on for me.
That said I'm not a complete ahole. I.would definitely be willing to talk and try to find a solution. I have what I call a barn but it's actually a large steel building it doesn't do much to stop the crowing. Maybe something wood with something for a sound barrier on the wall facing you could work
I'm not sure how well a fence would work either. I'd think the sound would go right over it.
I can't believe he turned down both offers though. If you offered to build me a barn I'd be like heck ya, when can we start and I'd even put it on the other side of my property then you.
How has these conversations went or did you get a feeling for how he took them? Were your offers refused without any explanation of why? I don't know his thinking or attitude or whether he's just dead set on not willing to do anything.
I'm stubborn and hard headed and he just might be too. Without knowing the guy it's gonna be tough to know what may be the solution.

 

[LaFleche]

Maybe your neighbour would be interested in buying your property for a reasonable amount of money so he would be able to expand his rooster business and at the same time prevent all future legal disputes?

 

[gimmie birdies]

I have lived on my property for 30 years.
We didn't have rules on whether or not we could have roosters in our area. I didn't have neighbors, and the ones I did were part time-weekenders not even every weekend people.
I did keep a rooster which I loved very much.
10 years ago, my neighbor moved in. He moved in knowing I have a rooster. He complained to the HOA about roosters, they sent out a memo to everyone, saying no more roosters. Now the thing with our HOA is they are non-action, so you could get a messy yard notice, (you would not) they may tell you to clean it, but there would be no teeth in the message. It is like they make a frown-y face at you and nothing happens. I hatch chicks, sometimes by a rooster I bring in, sometimes from eggs I buy. I do raise the roosters until crow age, and give my roosters to a new home or process. If I am keeping a rooster, I put it in a sleepy box, for night, and don't let it out till after 9am. Now my neighbor retired, so I don't think I can do that.

Now my 6 year old hen started to crow, I am not getting rid of her though.

 

[Brooks_]

start raising roosters to sell, he has around 50. They are kept in individual pens and he only has roosters.

Could he be into bird fighting - directly or indirectly? Animal welfare laws could come into play, though very hard to prove.

Otherwise, he is buying and reselling (likely very low margin of profit) and will lose interest in the project (maybe).

 

[NatJ]

Could he be into bird fighting - directly or indirectly? Animal welfare laws could come into play, though very hard to prove.

Otherwise, he is buying and reselling (likely very low margin of profit) and will lose interest in the project (maybe).

I was wondering if he was raising them for their feathers (for flytying or some other use.)

I would also pursue the legal action. When people have space to choose from and choose to put their livestock as far from themselves as possible and therefore closer to the neighbors, it's a total jerk move.

What makes you say the roosters are close to OP and not close to the roosters' owner?

The only distance I see mentioned is this:

The pens are about 450 feet from my doorstep. There are trees and a county road between us.

It looks to me like the roosters are 450 feet from OP's house, and that 450 feet includes a road and trees. I do not see any mention of where the neighbor's house is, whether the roosters are close to it or not. I do not see any mention of property sizes either.

 

[Brooks_]

I was wondering if he was raising them for their feathers (for flytying or some other use.)

Interesting consideration.