Neighbors

[LoreleisMama]

We get along REALLY well with our neighbors. They are all related to one another and they are our only neighbors since we live in a woodsy area. We told the son and daughter in law about our chicks and their first reaction was "Carol (the mom) is going to flip out! She hates chickens!" Our yards are far apart and our ladies will be in a coop/run at all time unless they are in the garden with me. I'm not sure how to approach this. When the son/DIL came over to see our chicks they brought it up again. Saying that they don't want to get in the middle of it and they are afraid that this will start a war.

i REALLY don't understand! It makes no sense to me! That would be like them getting mad if we got a cat. My daughter loves the mom & dad and they are like second grandparents. I haven't been to visit them (we do on a weekly basis) because I don't want to tell them yet!

I need advice!

UPDATE: We talked tonight to the son/DIL and they are just getting worse! They are looking up on the internet about chicks in our area. There are no laws against it unless they are neglected or cause excessive noise or if they are off of your property.


UGH! Let me add as a final note that I am 6 months pregnant and moody and this is making me nuts!

 

[SarahBeth9394]

What you do on you property is your business. So what if Carol doesn't like chickens. If you follow the laws you are well within your rights to have chickens. Carol can stuff it.

 

[wbruder17]

We had a pretty decent relationship with our neighbors until I got chickens. Now there is a restraining order (from me against my neighbor for barging into my house and screaming at me....about CHICKENS!) We are also completely legal and within our bounds, we both have large yards, we have a gorgeous coop and large run that is kept very clean, and WOULD have offered free eggs. Instead we had to move our coop, put up a privacy fence and have stopped all contact with them. It doesn't make sense. People are crazy. Live and let live, I say.

 

[wbruder17]

I could also probably mention that she is from Ukraine and perhaps has the idea that chickens are filthy disease carriers from her home country, I don't know because all she does is scream at me about them.

 

[BrattishTaz]

Maybe you should invite Carol over for coffee. Have the brooder within sight. This may encourage her to tell you why she feels the way she does.

I hated chickens for most of my life because I lost the sight in my left eye to one when I was little. A couple of years ago I moved back to the rural area where I grew up. I walked into the feed store one day. It was then I saw the cute little bundles of peeping fuzzy cuteness.

I went home with three of them....trauma forgotten. Maybe she will respond the same way.

If she still has a problem with them, tell her to go home and mind her own business.

 

[SuburbanFarmstress]

I would have a friendly conversation with her, and let her know that it's very important to you, particularly in your 'delicate condition', that you all remain as close as you have been. Because while the chickens mean a lot to you, so does her friendship.

You could also have your husband take her aside and tell her how concerned he is about you, that you've been worrying yourself sick that this could come between you, and could she please assure you that she would never let such a silly thing could never come between such good friends?

I suppose it's kind of low, using your 'condition' to put her in a spot where she kind of has to accept the chickens, but hey, whatever works. Having a friendly neighborhood is important, especially when they're your only neighbors, and we all know you aren't going to give up your chickens.

Good luck!

 

[WhetzelMomma]

And she may "hate" chickens because of past experience with aggressive roosters, or dirty housekeeping. Make sure you let her know that you plan of keeping chickens in a cleanly way. Ask her what her concerns might be, and provide her with information that will help calm them.