My neighbor’s rooster crows at 5 a.m.: can I complain?
Editors' DilemmaOctober 28, 2026· Be the first to vote
A story made up by our editors to get the debate going, not a real account.
My side
After years in the city, I made a dream come true: a little house in the country, upstate, nice and quiet. Well, quiet until 5 a.m. At 5 a.m., the neighbor’s rooster crows. Then he crows again. Until about 7, roughly every five minutes. I bought earplugs, then had double-pane windows put in the bedroom. Nothing works: this rooster has an opera singer’s voice. I went to ask my neighbor if he could close up the coop at night, or keep the rooster inside until 7. He looked at me like I’d asked him to turn off the sun.
Their side
My neighbor explains that the rooster has always been part of the farm, long before I showed up. His hens and rooster live outside, and he thinks it’s normal for a rooster to crow at dawn: it’s literally his job. According to him, when you choose the country, you choose its sounds too. He’s willing to close up the coop better, but not to lock the rooster in.
So, who's wrong?
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