Pesky neighbors--A rant

[chiknlady]

Okay--I get that chickens are fun, cute, and different--I just don't get how people think its okay to come on your property to look at them--WITHOUT ASKING. Yesterday a neighborhood child came over and said her grandparents wanted to see the chickens. I told her that my daughter would be over to get them and escort them through. Now mind you I do not have a farm--but have a large lot. Less than 15 minutes later the girl knocks again and I see heads passing by my window and about 8 folks traipsing into my yard--heading for my coop. I am thinking of inviting some relatives over and heading to her yard with towels and bathing suits and start swimming without asking--what d'ya think???? I AM STILL STEWING

Is there a neighbor trap or repellent??

 

[justusnak]

Oh jeesh! Im so sorry you have to deal with neighbors like that. Maybe explain to them....that you dont mind them coming over to watch the chickens...BUT>..you can not have them there without you being there, because you never know how the rooster will act around new people. Maybe put up a sign.... NO VISITORS.??

 

[greyhorsewoman]

Now mind you I do not have a farm--but have a large lot.

And if you did have a farm, would it be anymore acceptable? I DO have a small farm, and it never ceases to surprise me how willing people are to trespass our land & barn with total disregard.

We have 4-wheelers who run along the top of our property 'for fun' ~~ we have people who stop 'to look at the horses' in the barn ~~ we have people who hunt without permission, occasionally even going so far as to setup deer stands! (Yes, we have taken them down when we discover them.)

Actually, in your case, it seems they did stop and ask...twice. My guess is they thought it would be OK (since you said you'd send your daughter over), and decided to just up the time frame (older folks often don't see things from the same perspective). Be glad your neighbors are interested in your chickens and not complaining about them (have you read some of the other problems fellow BYC members are having with their neighbors?)

Take a deep breath.

 

[Ladysonja]

Wow!

How rude and what a pickle?

IMO, the little girl apparently has no boundry set at home - meaning that she does what she wants, when she wants, regardless of what adult tells her.

I can only imagine the emotions you were going through, but at the same time trying to be a polite and show off your chickens.

Are you close with your neighbor girls parents or is it more of the girls being friends with your daughter?

Maybe you could take a moment and explain to the little girls Mum why it's "not ok" for the little girl to come over to visit when your not at home or your daughter is not home.

Her parents may not set boundries for her, but you have every right to set boundries on your property regardless.

Good Luck!

 

[miss_jayne]

yikes. we have this all the time. our horse paddock is close to the road, and people will just pull up, get out and walk over. we live in the country...it's not like you don't see them every 5 houses, but people are curious. we have found people unlocking the gates and walking in. talk about not smart.

same with the chickens, people are just really curious about them. i don't let anyone walk through my coop or runs. bio-security measure. also, i don't let them touch without using hand sanitizer first.

about the little girl...my best guess is that she relayed your message differently. she probably just wanted to see them. the parents shouldn't send a small child as a messenger. that doesn't make it okay, that's the way kids do things sometimes. mom needs to call for herself.

send them a really nice card telling them how great it is that they share your interest. then include info regarding the boundary YOU want set about visiting.

ie: call anytime to visit so that i can make sure the coop is up to snuff for small kids

please call and we can make sure to have hand sanitizer at the ready for your health safety. (that usually works really well!!!)

best to you and hope it works out.

 

[chiknlady]

I am not mad at the child and I would think it rude ( and Illegal) for anyone to be on ANYONE's property without express permission. I naively thought adults would respect fences, and private spaces. To look up and have 8 people I do not know in my yard -is just odd... It is my personal delusion or hope that if/when I move to a Farm--things will be different--but maybe not...

I am grateful that I do not have complaints--but honestly I do not know the purpose of the visit or the agendas of people coming to visit uninvited. I am concerned from a safety perspective regarding handling/mistreatment of my animals, biosecurity, and the sanctity of my space. In addition for the last two nights my younger birds are spooked and will not go in their run--they are roosting on my main coop roof and walls--so I was concerned there could be a connection between strangers coming around when I am not home and scaring them.

I would be the hostess with the mostest--if only they had asked... I might stop to look at a yard or attractive nuisance, but I would never enter someone's property uninvited or unnannouced, and unexpected. Like I said, this is a rant so I will either cool off or get some perspective--either way I need to vent... As for talking to the neighbor's Mom--that's just it--I see her briefly and we speak--but I don't frequent her home and she doesn't come to mine--ever...I do have other people who come over, we talk, hang out etc--that's why I am so confused and disturbed by it...Maybe I need to go weed my garden and get physical...

Serenity Now...

 

[speckledhen]

I looked out my window one day to see a preteen girl walking up to the house. I happen to have a gated driveway and the gate isn't always locked, but it is always closed unless I'm expecting a delivery. When we met her out at the sidewalk, she said her grandmother sent her over for eggs.

I asked who her grandmother was and she didn't even know her name. I told her I didnt have any eggs to sell right now (wanted to say, "Hey, does this look like a 7-11?!). She said her grandmother lived in a log cabin, but every time I mentioned a name, she didn't know who that was. Turns out, it was the vinyl sided cottage across from the end of my driveway, not a log cabin.
Every time people have company in my n'hood, they want to bring them to see the chickens. Makes me crazy! Maybe I should charge admission for the "Farm Tour".

 

[ml]

Well the good news unlike horses they dont want to ride your peeps or feed them carrots they should not have. I got so sick of every "friend's", "friend" wanted to stop my day and pet and ride my horses. If I was nice enought to let them they did not want to ride the gentle one, it had to be the tallest and the most frisky one. Ever lift a 45 lb child up and over your head to a horses back? Finally said no and not so nicely on the carrots. Fat horses do not need carrots.
All I could see was on horse bitting the carrot and any fingers atached to it.


There must be a nice way to say no like peep bio security etc. My chicken little ones dont realize the world does not step around them like I do.

ML

 

[I*Eat*Chickens*Yum]

I learn more and more everyday how ignorant and rude the human race is !!!!!!! UNREAL !

 

[CritterHill]

Oh man. Do I have to go apologize to my neighbor now?

I took a walk down the road the other day. Ended up at my neighbor's fence watching her goats and walked the entire perimeter of her goat field looking at them.

They were so calming! I had no idea people would get so upset with neighbors stopping to look at their animals...