What Would The Neighbors Say??

What Would The Neighbors Say?
　
Aren’t Chickens Noisy?Only sometimes, and not very much. Let’s be clear we are talking about small groups of female chickens. Roosters are indeed very loud and not suitable for a suburban environment. A small flock of 3 to 6 hens will produce about 40 to 70 decibels of sound. Exact number, distance to the hearer and obstructions in the path will all affect just how loud the sound seems. To put 70 decibels into perspective, average conversation is about 60 decibels, an air conditioner is about 80, a power lawnmower around 90, and a beagle around 110! And chickens are not constantly making noise, and they have firm rule about sleeping through the night.
Don’t Chickens Smell?Chickens themselves don’t smell, but like any pet their enclosure can develop an odor problem if not given proper care. Chickens, like all birds, excrete only solid waste, they do not urinate. This means their manure has a high moisture content, and the potential to become smelly very quickly. Backyard chicken keepers avoid this situation by using an absorbent bedding like wood shavings to line the floor of the hen house. The bedding wicks away moisture and makes the possibility of obnoxious odors almost zero. The method, called ’the deep litter system’ is so effective that some keepers allow a layer of bedding up to a foot thick to accumulate, which may be changed only once or twice a year, with no odor problems.
Don’t They Attract Flies And Other Pests?If properly cared for, no they don’t! Hens themselves are the best prevention for insect problems, because quite simply, they eat bugs. A hen house with clean dry bedding will draw few flies, and those that do show up will be targets for the hungry birds, who are always eager to snap up any fly larvae that mange to hatch.
Commercial poultry operations have odor and insect problems that are well documented in the news media. The size of these operations and they way they handle chicken waste is almost a perfect recipe to create smell and insect trouble. In form and function it is totally different from the way that small flocks of backyard chickens are managed, which means that smell and odor are not part of the conscientious pet chicken keeper’s plan.
Don’t They Draw Vermin and Varmints?Rats and mice are not really interested in chickens, but are very interested in the food that chickens might have around. These observant rodents are always alert for a food source-if any of your neighbors feed wild birds, they are also providing meals to a variety of rodents, rats and mice included. The key to minimizing rodent trouble around a back yard flock is storing food in tightly sealed containers and making sure no uneaten food is left around-chickens need to clean their plates!
Human beings are not the only creatures that enjoy chicken dinners, other animals are indeed drawn to chickens. The key fact to remember is that these animals are already here, they didn’t come just for the chickens. Suburbanites often forget how close they are to “wild” animals, and how attractive our neighborhoods can be to them. Open trash cans, pets fed outside, and feeding stations for wild birds or squirrels can all lure raccoons, possums and skunks into civilization, were they may very well try to add chicken to their menu. They key again is good care, in the form of a secure enclosure that keeps the chickens and the varmints separate.
Aren’t Chickens Disease Magnets?No! Are there diseases that can be transmitted from chicken to human? There are. Many of these same diseases can also be transmitted to humans by other companion animals such as dogs, cats, horses, reptiles, other kinds of pet birds and small animals. Reasonable sanitary precautions like hand washing, and good care to keep both chickens and humans healthy, make s the possibility of disease transmission only a remote possibility-the Centers for Disease Control makes that clear on their web site pages dealing with pets & human health.
Wont Chickens Next Door Lower My Property Values?Because so many factors affect property value, and make a prospective buyer decide on one property over another, it is hard to say yes or no. A buyer looking over a backyard fence and seeing a small flock of hens may have a negative reaction, but is equally as likely to have a positive or neutral reaction too. Looking over the fence and seeing a large dog house, a skate board ramp or a swimming pool could all provoke a negative reaction from a buyer.
Chicken owners being good neighbors, and keeping a small flock using the best management practices in an establishment that looks good, will always convey the type of message that a well tended lawn or flower bed will: good people live here.