Subjecting your neighbours to early starts is nothing to crow about, the owner of a cockerel has discovered to his cost.

Harold Brown has been fined nearly £4,000 after his neighbours cried fowl over his rooster shaking its tail feathers from 5am every morning for years.

New Forest district council (NFDC) found the bird created “unacceptable levels of noise” that disturbed the sleep of the community. The ruling followed initial complaints from eight households living near Brown’s home in Hampshire in October 2022.

But despite being served with an abatement notice in December that year, Brown refused to make his chicken fly the coop. Instead, the bird continued until further complaints from 12 households in 2023. Brown was prosecuted and convicted in November 2024.

Brown subsequently appealed against the conviction, but his case has been dismissed at Southampton crown court, with Brown sentenced to £200 in fines, legal costs of £3,651.95 – and, in what neighbours consider to be a particular feather in their cap, an £80 victim surcharge.

A NFDC spokesperson said. “The diary evidence kept by local residents highlighted that the crowing regularly affected their sleep from as early as 5am each day.”

Dan Poole, a councillor who is the portfolio holder for community, safety and wellbeing, said: “We are committed to protecting our residents from unacceptable levels of noise and supporting them when issues arise.

“Everyone has the right to the peaceful enjoyment of their home, and when informal approaches fail, we will not hesitate to take legal action where necessary.”