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Residents press Mancos trustees to ban roosters; board asks staff to study ordinance changes
Summary
Multiple residents told trustees that rooster crowing is disrupting sleep in dense neighborhoods. The board agreed to research changes to animal/noise code language (including prohibiting roosters in town limits) and to return with draft ordinance language and enforcement options.
Several residents told the Mancos Board of Trustees on Nov. 12 that a rooster recently acquired by a neighbor has made sleep difficult and that roosters are unnecessary for backyard egg production.
Rebecca Walker, who identified herself as a respiratory therapist and a night-shift worker, said she and other medical and night-shift employees need to sleep during the day and that rooster crowing prevents restorative sleep. "On behalf of all the night shifters and day sleepers in Mancos, I really hope you guys can see fit to ban roosters from backyard chicken coops," Walker said.
Neighbors Eric Fifer and Shannon Hazlip described repeated unsuccessful attempts to ask the owner to rehome the rooster and urged the town to make enforcement clearer by specifying "roosters" in the code rather than relying on general noise provisions. Trustee Nick Manning and other trustees expressed sympathy and said the issue merits revision; trustees noted earlier code discussions in 2015–2016 and asked staff to research both chapter 7 (animal rules) and chapter 16 (land-use enclosures) to determine where changes are needed.
Board direction and timeline Trustees asked staff to return with options that could include a specific prohibition on roosters within town limits and a broader review of the noise ordinance to improve enforcement for barking dogs and other persistent noise. Staff said the process will require multiple months and at least one public hearing before any ordinance change is adopted.
Provenance: public comments and trustee discussion at the Nov. 12 meeting (SEG 1388–SEG 1705).
