My neighbor won’t stop complaining

[Ajroadrunner]

I have six hens, under the county limit. When they lay, they sing egg songs. Sometimes I can dissuade them with a little shouting or feed, but normally that’s what they do.

My neighbor is on me constantly to shut them up. She, I swear truth, videoed a recording of them claiming they were louder than a jet plane flying into the nearby airport. I asked her if she’d appreciate me videoing her dinner parties for sound. She denies she has any.

Anyway. The rule in our county is that ppl can make noise until 10 pm. Everyone puts up with others leaf blowes, construction noise, adolescent musical tries and so forth because there’s not a choice about it. And as my birds are legal, same situation.

She keeps insisting on more talking about it, and I think I am done, but she is just the biggest Karen ever.

Should I just ignore her from now on?

 

[SmiYa0126]

I recommend "Karen" get a hobby.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I recommend "Karen" get a hobby.

Sadly, "Karen" has a hobby.

 

[SmiYa0126]

Yes, truly. How sad. I don't have time to worry what my neighbors are doing... It's so strange to me when people butt in like this

 

[Missyschix13]

Sadly, "Karen" has a hobby.

Lol she sure does! Being a pain in the backside. (The PG version of my thoughts )

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Lol she sure does! Being a pain in the backside. (The PG version of my thoughts )

I had to edit my post, too!

 

[arizona_chicken_noob]

I will play devil's advocate just to buck the trend in this thread. (So this is more about another perspective and a thought experiment.)

I never thought of myself as being sensitive to sound, but damn if I don't get cranky and distracted when I hear say, a barking dog. You hear about people whose neighbors keep their dog outside full time and they bark their faces off while the owners are at work, while the county shrugs and points to the full outdoor water bowl saying "it doesn't meet our standards for cruelty".

Still, even my own chickens have annoyed me on occasion. What I will say though is that it lasts only for minutes. It's not like a dog that will get set off by a jogger over and over again. The egg song is loud and jarring, and it does make me think about my neighbors at times. If there were someone with tepid mental health next door -- well they have an extra challenge.

It sounds like you are a little too deep with your next door Karen to play the "I'm a nice person trying to be a little more self sufficient, would you like some fresh eggs" card.

Consider trying to reframe the story and sort of.... stamp it into your conversation. Whatever aspect you think would be hard to object to. Teaching your children animal husbandry (if you have them), reducing your carbon footprint, getting in touch with our roots, quality of life for the animals that feed you, or maybe your county is a bit rural and you can lean on that.

So long as the law is behind you, she can kick rocks, but she can also stop bothering you about it and "collecting evidence".

 

[Animalfisherwoman]

Karen called me today to positive reinforcement me on cutting down on the chicken noise, oh, and could she try that from her yard.

Im like, your yard is your yard. If you wanna wave things at Them, ok, just don’t be throwing things at them, which she didn’t suggest.

I then deflected the issue toward her meditative Chinese bamboo almost hitting our high power wires.

 

[bobbi-j]

Karen called me today to positive reinforcement me on cutting down on the chicken noise, oh, and could she try that from her yard.

Im like, your yard is your yard. If you wanna wave things at Them, ok, just don’t be throwing things at them, which she didn’t suggest.

I then deflected the issue toward her meditative Chinese bamboo almost hitting our high power wires.

As long as she doesn’t want to toss them treats…

 

[Animalfisherwoman]

As long as she doesn’t want to toss them treats…

Our other next door neighbor did that, but no. I don’t trust this one.