Savannah code bans neighborhood rooster

SAVANNAH - A noisy rooster named Fred has been banished from a residential neighborhood because of a city code that outlaws any ``fowl which howls.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Arthur Weed pleaded for his beloved pet, named after Fred Mertz on ``I Love Lucy,&#39;&#39; but Recorder&#39;s Court Judge Lawrence Dillon ruled Monday that the bird has two weeks to vacate the backyard coop he shares with five hens. <br> <br> Weed already had paid $640 in fines and court costs after a December hearing prompted by neighbors&#39; complaints about Fred&#39;s crowing. <br> <br> Until Fred moves, Weed must keep him indoors at night, as he has done for the last six weeks. <br> <br> Neighbor Christina Keith complained that Fred woke her up on Saturday afternoon, when she was sleeping after finishing a night shift. <br> <br> Keith, who lives about four doors away from Weed&#39;s house, said ``I&#39;m a nurse, and I need my sleep.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Another neighbor, Catherine Cooper, who faced off against Weed during the December hearing, told the judge that two weeks was too much time. <br> <br> Weed said he hasn&#39;t decided where to move Fred although several people have contacted him, offering a home for the banished bird. <br> <br> He is considering an appeal, and he may ask the city to grant a variance for the ``natural sound&#39;&#39; of Fred&#39;s cock-a-doodle-doo. <br> <br> Weed, an antiques dealer, says Fred&#39;s calls are a soothing balm in a noisy, urban world. He bought him as a chick last fall after a doctor told him to slow down and live a healthier life.