Help! My neighbor is worried about rats!

[dandydoodle]

Unfortunately rats are everywhere the chicken feed just gets them to come to the coop. Your neighbor probably has them around her house too. Unfortunately chickens do kick there feed when they eat. So no matter how clean you keep it there is probably some food around. If anyway possible I would make sure that where you feed the chickens is completely rat proofed. I wish our coop was but, it isn't. We got our first family of rats try to move in after I having our chickens for about 6 months. I got rid of them and since then have had a second family try to move in. Unfortunately unless where you feed your chickens is rat proof you will probably eventually be faced with having to get rid of them. I do think it is just a part of having chickens. The rats won't go to your neighbors house though unless she has food outside and they are out there whether you have chickens or not.

I understand I love my chickens too. I wish you the best of luck. I would invite her over and hang out with her let her hang out with your chickens and offer her lots of eggs. Hopefully she will fall in love with your chickens too.

 

[glowgirl]

Sometimes you can get a sypathetic counselor or therapist, even a medical doctor to write a note that says "so an so, or so and so's child, has social anxiety, panic disorder, repressed memories or what have. These animals are care animals and support her well being.........

I had my sister-in-laws doctor write a note for her terrier so she could take him on the bus and other places. Could this be a possibility?

I really don't understand HOA, they seem like a violation of county and state ordinances. What about your rights as a tax paying citizen do to what you want with your own property?

 

[OvertheHenHouse]

Quote:
X2 - in spades. Because you're on the wrong side of the HOA law and you need your neighbor to be your friend right now...good luck!

 

[goobhen]

Quote:
How many here remember when you bought A house, and lived in it for the rest of your life? You didn't think of it as "an investment", but as a home. You didn't worry about "property values" because you had no intention of selling your HOME, ever! You had no need for a neighborhood association because you knew all your neighbors for blocks around. You watched their kids grow up, go off to school, marry and buy homes of their own, often in the same neighborhood.

The memories of a kinder, gentler age by an old man. I miss those days.

I live in that kind of neighborhood...and it is an HOA.

And you can have chickens! That would be my kind of HOA! Somethimes when I look at my neighbor's yard, I want a 10 foot fence... then maybe they want a 10' fence because of my overgrown woods!

 

[seminolewind]

Quote:
Exactly. I keep my food bowl in a rat proof coop that gets closed up at night. I make sure there is no food available. How many rats you have is based on how many can survive on the food they find. Now , if your neighbor has a bird feeder, she will be raising rats.

 

[Gvnam]

My neighbor has rats but I don't. I have feed out and everything. They are at his house because he feed birds. I have been over at his house already shooting rats.

 

[Beekissed]

Quote:
How many here remember when you bought A house, and lived in it for the rest of your life? You didn't think of it as "an investment", but as a home. You didn't worry about "property values" because you had no intention of selling your HOME, ever! You had no need for a neighborhood association because you knew all your neighbors for blocks around. You watched their kids grow up, go off to school, marry and buy homes of their own, often in the same neighborhood.

The memories of a kinder, gentler age by an old man. I miss those days.

Ayep.

 

[franklinchickens]

they'reHISchickens :

I would be very cautious about inviting the neighbor's terriers to visit. Terriers are normally yapping little hunters who go crazy at the scent of bait ( think chicken). They are apparently what instigated this and the smell of chickens 60 feet away may be inciting their constant barking. Not that some terriers need much inciting.
[Yes, I know many people LOVE terriers and they are smart dogs. Too bad many owners don't use that intelligence to train them.]

I agree- be really careful of terriers - and most dogs that aren't familiar with chickens. We have a lab who is wonderful with our hens but she saw them growing up in a tub in the house and understands that they are part of the family. We also foster golden retrievers and most of them are fine with a bit of introduction but I had one 'retrieve' a hen, and another who took a chunk of feathers off of a hen. A friend nearby had 2 hens killed by a neighbors dog who was sweet as can be - but apparently not to chickens. Just be careful!​