will my neighbors complain about the smell with chickens & composting?

Posted by Jeanette on June 3, 2010 at 5:03pm

I went to the chicken class, I'm reading various things, getting my side yard ready--very much in the preparation stage of change :) . One of my friends says the chickens and composting bin will smell bad, then hens will make a lot of noise, and my neighbors will hate me. I have not really seen any chickens in someone's yard or garden. I'm thinking just 3 or 4 in a coop & enclosed run way in back past the pool in my back yard. There's shade, it's over by the guest room and shouldn't be more trouble than my neighbor's yapping chihuahua.

 

What's your experience with this? 

 

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Replies

  • Shelly Martin June 9, 2010 at 4:08pm
    Thanks Chris - think I will go get a couple Phoenix Specials!
  • Shelly Martin June 8, 2010 at 11:04pm
    In regards to neighbors: I think my neighbors do hate the chickens. In addition to the concerns of the neighbor discussed above the other next door neighbor (vacant lot owned by developer) is very concerned about image...keeps walking the property line...looking over the fence with a very disgusted look on his face. The coop is really cute, matches our kids playset but I'm sure he would rather be looking at a sparkling pool with a built-in barbeque. My neighbors reactions really upset me initially but I don't care so much now...it's more important for our family to have this experience.
  • Shelly Martin June 8, 2010 at 10:35pm
    Has anyone had trouble with rodents/coyotes in the compost? I live in an area with Roof Rats...have just had the chickens in the coop for a week so I have not started composting yet. We have a crazy neighbor that says we will be drawing in the Rat's and the Coyotes with the chickens/food/compost etc....

    Any experience with these issues?

    I was thinking of getting a "Phoenix Special" but I was concerned that the rodents might get in because of the "open design". Anyone had any problems with this type of composter... Otherwise I might have to get the Home Depot $45 enclosed composter...

    PS - my coop with attached run is super tight so no worries there...well at least as far as coyotes are concerned.
    • Pam Rawlins > Shelly Martin June 9, 2010 at 4:39pm
      We have roof rats - North Central - old Citrus grove... We have had compost piles for years...open piles surrounded on 3 sides by pallets/chicken wire ---primarily due to 1/2 acre lot with a lot of grass, and lots of trees - some deciduous. For a while I stopped putting fruit and veggies in the compost due to the rats, but then I realized that with the citrus in the neighborhood, my few fruits and veggie scraps probably weren't a big attraction. I have never seen any signs of the roof rats being in or near my compost - no signs of nibbling on a chunk of celery, or anything. However, the did swipe 3 canteloupe out of my garden one night! And a compost pile should not smell at all unless you put meat in it.

      The flies are an issue - I am trying diatomaceous earth which helps a little, but I can't deny we hae way more flies in our yard than we used to... and I keep their area pretty clean. Is what it is, I guess.

      As for coyote's - the coyotes are drawn to neighborhoods for water and loose cats - as long as your chickens are safe, I wouldn't worry about them at all.
    • Pam Rawlins > Pam Rawlins June 9, 2010 at 4:42pm
      oh, and the flies are from the chickens, not the compost. I wouldn't put diatomaceous earth in the compost, or it might kill the worms!
    • Erika > Shelly Martin June 8, 2010 at 10:50pm
      I don't live near roof rats, but along the canal there are plenty of coyotes, but I do have a block wall around my yard. My husband was concerned about snakes coming for the eggs, but so far no issues. I have dogs that scare away bunnies and other garden pests. My only problems are wild birds eating the bird feed and when I do put the compost outside of the coop my dog and chickens all dive in for scraps.
  • lori bohr June 7, 2010 at 11:44am
    Noise has not been an issue with our neighbors. We have 8 hens and have been really careful to re-home roosters as soon as they begin crowing. The neighbors report that they rarely hear anything from our backyard. The chickens themselves do not smell at all but we have has issues with flies between the compost and the chicken poop. Fly strips did not seem to work at all so we resorted to those Recue fly traps which work very well but smell like rotten meat to attract the flies. Anyone have other ideas?
  • Jeanette June 4, 2010 at 4:36pm
    Ah, very good and validating informaton. Thank you so much. I really appreciate it. Hens in 2010.
  • dj griffith June 3, 2010 at 6:11pm
    In a word, NO. You are absolutely right about the yapping chihuaha being more bothersome than chickens, particularly hens. Some friend. If the hen yard & compost are properly maintained there really is no issue with smell. Just ask Rachel at rachelstinyfarm (she is a member with her own exceptional blog.). I have raised chickens for years & had no problem with odors or noise. Once I had bad neighbor whose family attacked my husband. She spied from her second story window & called our hoa in revenge, reporting we had "fighting cocks". The hoa found she had lied in revenge & stated there was no problem with the hens due to their quiet & unintrusive nature! Now I have neighbors from Mexico & they begged me not to get rid of my hen who turned out to be a rooster. They even bought chicks from me & have me get their feed for them when I go up to the feed store. Good luck with your backyard chooks!
  • Marion Shaw June 3, 2010 at 5:58pm
    If anything you will have more flies. Cheap, easy fix is to hand fly strips over the compost and that should take care of it. Works for me,Ii leave the top off a while when it's hot and the flies go right to the trap. Ha! Got cha.
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