Feeling conflicted

[Nigellas]

My neighbor is an awesome chicken-friend. We have a fenced yard and would always free-range our girls and she would feed them snacks daily and just watch them. We just lost the last of our flock to predators (we've had a pretty bad summer) and also recently got a beagle - because of both of these things we have decided that the next batch will be fenced in their pen daily.

Here's our problem...

Neighbor's husband died recently, so we think she's pretty lonely - She came to my husband today and gave him money to buy new chickens - He tried 100 ways to not accept it, but she refused - she said it was for her since she wants us to get more. She said she really loves watching the chickens and feeding them - super sweet, right? Unfortunately their coop is at the other side of our yard and it's completely not feasible to more it to her side of the yard. So she won't be able to see them anyway.

I just feel really terrible - She's so sweet and I know the hens bring her a lot of joy.

 

[sourland]

Tell her about the situation and why you will be keeping the new chickens penned. Then invite her to enter your yard to observe and feed them. She sounds like the sort of neighbor many would love to have. Very nice of you to be sensitive to her feelings.

 

[PamB]

Is there any way your husband could build her a small coop for her yard and you could help her get a couple chicks of her own??

 

[Amyh]

I think you should use the money she gave you to build a small coop for 3 or 4 chickens of her own. Sounds like she would be an awesome chicken lady!!