What are the Rules Regarding Livestock in Residential Areas?

[Bier_me 10]

I'm curious if someone could enlighten me on the rules of owning a farm or having livestock in a residential area (i.e. Neighborhood).  The town we live in is surrounded by farm fields and forests.  However, inside the town it is heavily suburban like any typical neighborhood: bakeries, restaurants, shops, etc.  Some of the homes in the area have some chickens and roosters in their backyards, which thankfully are not too close to us as the rooster constantly conducts its "calls" at all hours of the day.  Recently, a neighbor who I'm assuming is a farmer and happens to own a thin strip of grass that goes between the the old houses (where my home is located) and the newer constructed homes, decided to move a flock of sheep to the area.  The farmer has done this in the past, mostly for two weeks during the summer to sheer them.  This time it appears the sheep are here for good.  They are constantly baa'ing at all hours, especially at night.  During the summer drought this year, the grass was all but burned up and the sheep were desperate for food.  They then started to eat neighboring plants, including all my bushes as far as they could stick their heads through the fence.  Besides this, they poop and pee a lot and they're just annoying.

 

Bottom line, in the US, there are rules about having agricultural animals in a neighborhood.  There are also rules about animals making loud noises throughout the night as well as eating plants that are not on their property.  I just don't know what is allowed in Germany.  It seems like this should not be allowed, but I'm not sure.  I've heard all the stories about how strict it is in Germany with residential laws, for example, shoveling snow, keeping weeds out of the sidewalk, cleaning up debris, keeping the yard in order, no loud noises on Sundays and holidays, etc., but this neighbor is violating all of those.  Even without the sheep issue, the property behind our fence line is unkempt.  There are mountains of debris and waste which include a non-functioning car, old farm equipment, toilets, kitchen sinks, a stove range, and other various items left around in garbage piles.  I put up with all that stuff, but now add in the sheep and its just too much.

 

Do I have a valid complaint in Germany?  Or is this something that I'm just going to have to suck up and deal with. 

[jeba 4,347]

These things are regulated on the local level and each municipality has their own rules. Best to ask at the local mayor´s hall.

[Fietsrad 386]

There used to be many Ackerbuergerstaedte in Germany (before modern society with division of labor) where citizens had trades (retail, handwerk etc) etc but still kept animals too, is that what is happening here?

 

You could try talking discreetly to other neighbors, if they have lived there a long time they might have relevant opinions or knowledge.

[knotheadusc 521]

In our neighborhood, there's a family that has a barn connected to their home!  I don't mind, though, because I grew up around horses and miss the smell.  When I pass their house, which is behind a tall wooden gate, I can catch a whiff of horses, if the gate is open.  

 

Horses aren't usually as loud as sheep are, though.  I sympathize with your complaint.

[Bier_me 10]

I think a conversation with the Mayor's office is probably in order.

 

Fietrad - I'm not exactly sure.  I'm sure the house I'm living in pre-dates the house and farm that is behind us. (As I'm typing this I can hear sheep baa'ing at me through the closed windows, how ironic), but it just is an odd situation.  Imagine a fairly busy street lined with older homes ranging from late 1800s - 1950s, then behind all these homes yard, is this old, dilapidated barn which has a thin strip of land that runs along the back yard of these houses.  On the other side of this "farmland", is a pedestrian sidewalk, a Schulgarten, and a newer neighborhood.  I don't know why the city never paid the farmer for the land to build more homes, or how it regulated that strip to be farmland.  We spoke to our neighbor; they have been living in our town for generations.  They thought the sheep were going to be sold, back in Spring, and even they are at wits end, they can't figure it out either.

 

Knotheadusc - Our home actually has a barn still attached to it as well, but we're not keeping livestock in there.  Many of the homes around us have that as well.  But, this is just a strange situation.  I'll keep everyone posted if there are any developments on the sheep. :D

 

 

[Fietsrad 386]

People think that Germany is a modern urban country but a lot of it is quite rural and traditional, small towns are perhaps more typical than big cities.

 

I like the sheep, their slight odor reminds me of Scotland.