French court hears case of Maurice, the famous 'noisy' cockerel

Retired couple say rooster’s ‘abnormal noise’ disturbs them at holiday home

Angelique Chrisafis in Paris

Thu 4 Jul 2019 14.20 BSTLast modified on Fri 5 Jul 2019 08.32 BST

Maurice the cockerel, France’s most famous bird, whose piercing dawn call sparked neighbours to take legal action over noise pollution, has finally had his case heard in court.

A local court in Rochefort has begun examining the case of a dispute over the bird between neighbours on the Île d’Oléron. Two pensioners complained that Maurice was making abnormally high levels of noise that disturbed the peace at their second home on the island when he crowed every morning at 6.30am.

The dispute, which has run for more than two years, has been billed as a symbolic standoff between two ways of life: on one side are the islanders on the picturesque Île d’Oléron off the Atlantic coast, who say they have always kept chickens; on the other are people arriving from other areas of France to invest in second homes on the island.

Maurice has received support from all over France through a petition defending his crowing; in recent months his fame has been used to draw attention to key causes, such as posing this winter wearing a yellow hi-vis vest in favour of the gilets jaunes protesters.

Supporters have created an “I am Maurice” banner on social media and and even the head of one local authority, Dominique Bussereau, tweeted his solidarity.

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Rescue cockerel in need of a new beak turns to fundraising

22:57, 24 OCT 2015

UPDATED 22:57, 24 OCT 2015

BY JOHN KELLY

Captain Beaky's down in the mouth without a beak - but his owner's planning on buying a prosthesis

Rescued cockerel Captain Beaky is well down the pecking order... because he needs a new beak.

Other birds push him out of the way at feeding time when he takes too long to eat his food because of his malformed mouth.

Now owner Tina Wilkinson from Hest Bank near Lancaster has started a fundraisingappeal for a vet to make him a prosthetic beak .

She said: “To feed he has to bury his head in the food and rub his face around in it but the others push him out of the way so he has to eat alone.

“We are trying to find a vet that can do something for him so he can live a normal life. He is absolutely gorgeous."

Source ..

Cock-a-doodle-don’t! Neighbours get the bird over dawn chorus

Wednesday 16 September 2015

Feathers have been ruffled by a noisy cockerel in an East Riding town - leading to demands for a ban on the birds in built-up areas.

More than 20 residents have in Brough signed a petition over the cockerel at a house on Wold View and its “annoying” screeches.

Although already subject to a ‘bird ASBO’ - it only supposed to be allowed out at 9am weekdays and 10am at the weekend - neighbour Martin Credland told East Riding councillors that as he was leaving home this morning “it was giving ten bells.”

East Riding Council launched an investigation after Mr Credland complained six months ago.

Sound equipment was installed in his house and an officer visited several times to take noise readings - but they concluded a wood pigeon they had picked up on the recording was even noisier.

But Mr Credland insisted today wood pigeons were the “norm” and cockerels were “not native and not acceptable in the neighbourhood.”

Mr Credland, who is also chairman of Elloughton cum Brough town council, said: “When we bought the house 18 years ago the wood pigeons were part of it. The cockerel has a different noise and tone, it’s more annoying.

“The council came to an agreement with them which they don’t 100 per cent adhere to, it has been breached many times.

Read more:

Noisy cockerel gets 'bird ASBO' because his early morning calls wound up owners' neighbours

Husband and wife Philip and Caroline Sutcliffe received orders to silence their cockerel after neighbours in Eyam, Derbyshire, complainted about his morning wake up calls

Yahoo News – Wed, Oct 15, 2014

Noisy: Willy, Britain's first 'ASBO cockerel'. (SWNS)

Willy the noisy cockerel has been given a ‘bird ASBO’ - after his early morning crowing drew complaints from his owners’ neighbors.

Husband and wife Philip and Caroline Sutcliffe received orders to silence their cockerel after neighbours in Eyam, Derbyshire, complained about his morning wake up calls.

The noisy bird lives on the couple's idyllic village farm with his chicken friends, but left his owners served with a noise abatement notice when one neighbour took action against his unmissable call.

The couple have been told they either stop the bird crowing before 8am, or get rid of him by October 19.

Mr and Mrs Sutcliffe claim they have tried everything to pinch the crow's cries in the early hours, including keeping him in the dark and in a small space, but to no avail.

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