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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be PISSED OFF at the smell

39 replies

Deflatedballoonbelly · 27/03/2012 14:28

of next doors chickens? They are right on the patio slap bang next to ours and they STINK! The smell of ammonia smacks the back of my nostrils when the wind blows. Are they even allowed to be this close to the house? No sign of rats as they have cats luckily. I am wary about talking to my neighbour as a) she is lovely, b) she works long anti social hours in a demanding job and c) we have recently had a dispute as such over parking.

Would you be pissed off by it? The coop does get cleaned and the chooks are fine and healthy but I cannot handle the smell on warm sunny days. I have my downstairs windows and doors shut on a lovely day Sad

OP posts:
AitchTwoOhOneTwo · 27/03/2012 14:29

oh that's horrible, surely they should be at the end of the garden at least?

LadySybilDeChocolate · 27/03/2012 14:31

You need to contact environmental health, I'm afraid. I don't think they should be kept this close to a domestic property, they also need to be cleaned. Sorry.

imnotmymum · 27/03/2012 14:32

and they attract flies, surely no so close to house ??

KnitterNotTwitter · 27/03/2012 14:32

oooh - I was wondering if you were my neighbour until the parking dispute thing....
No practical suggestions i'm afraid - if you think it's a health hazard you can report it to the council...
How often are they cleaned out? we pick out the poo every day and then clean them out fully every fortnight. When we clean them out we use a sterilizing liquid to scrub the house out which I think means that they don't smell too bad...

hiddenhome · 27/03/2012 14:33

There is absolutely no reason for them to smell. I have three hens in a residential area. Chickens need daily cleaning, hosing down of their area with water, then disinfectant putting down or they do start to smell. It takes 15 minutes each evening, that's all.

Byeckerslike · 27/03/2012 14:35

We bought a house once (it was a newbuild) it was written into the contract that we werent allowed to keep livestock (including chickens) i believe that is quiite common. Not entirely sure, but maybe worth checking...

It must not be nice and yanbu it would annoy me too

mrswoodentop · 27/03/2012 14:39

We have chickens ,admittedly we have a large garden and they are at the end in a large enclosed area but even in the summer they don't smell,as hiddenhome says you just need a bit of general housekeeping,are they in a very small run?I have heard that some feed can make the poo more smelly

I would try speaking to her politely but if not environmental health or the council would be the way to go

oldmum42 · 27/03/2012 14:40

Chickens should not smell of ammonia if kept properly! The cage/coop would be better at the bottom of the garden and attached to a run so they can get out and move around - sounds like they don't have much space if confined to the patio.

I think they now need to be registered with DEFRA (as do pigs kept by smallholders), so that the authorities know who owns them and where they are in case of the outbreak of serious disease.

mrswoodentop · 27/03/2012 14:43

you only need to register if you have 50 plus birds

KnitterNotTwitter · 27/03/2012 14:44

We have two chickens in a 2ft by 5ft by 4ft run - can you see if your neighbours are more tightly housed than that?

Callisto · 27/03/2012 14:47

Sounds like the chickens are neglected to me. I have chickens and they don't ever smell, even if I haven't cleaned the coop for a week or so. I too would report to the council as there are probably aniimal welfare issues as well as human health ones.

nickelhasababy · 27/03/2012 14:49

it's not he chickens that stink.

you must have a word with the owners .

it is normal to poo pick every day and clean out bedding at least once a week.

if they're allowing poo to build up, you have every right to complain.

it's not good for the chickens' health to be walking in their own shit. Angry

nickelhasababy · 27/03/2012 14:54

Byeckerslike

We bought a house once (it was a newbuild) it was written into the contract that we werent allowed to keep livestock (including chickens) i believe that is quiite common. Not entirely sure, but maybe worth checking...

Bollocks and complete tosh. (not your fault)
It is an act of parliament that you are allowed to keep hens in your garden (it's the Allotment Act, and "allotment" is defined in the act to include gardens)
the clause in a contract is contractual, and contractual law is always trumped by a statute.
IE - they cannot stop you keeping chickens in your garden even if they write it in a contract.
the only way they can stop you, is if you do not keep them well - eg like this OP's example where she's obviously not keeping them clean enough.

Original poster
Deflatedballoonbelly · 27/03/2012 14:55

I doubt poo is picked up daily, the pen is smaller knitternotwitter. The chickens have full rein of the large garden and are fed etc... its just she is busy. She has had them for 3 years now and its only this week they have smelt.

Im just going to have to get a backbone I think. Thank you for your replies.

OP posts:
nickelhasababy · 27/03/2012 14:56

yes, talking of runs - how big is the run?
DEFRA states it should be at least 1sqm per bird, if they have other suitable running space (ie if they're let out into the rest of the garden for at least an hour a day) - if not, it is generally recommended to have 2sqm per bird.

if the run is smaller than that (and some pre-build houses have runs that are too small), then the poo can build up more quickly.

nickelhasababy · 27/03/2012 14:58

ex posts.

nickelhasababy · 27/03/2012 14:58

i meant "x-posts" Blush

ditavonteesed · 27/03/2012 15:02

shouldnt smell of amonia, mine smell sometimes when I dig the run over, what are they on? are they on wood chip or something, she needs to sprinkle garden lime in it to neutralise the smell. if she doesnt know this you will have to tell her though.

McPopcornMouseNFries · 27/03/2012 15:05

Thanks nickelhasbaby - very informative post, and I've always wondered about the legality of these clauses in the UK :)

nickelhasababy · 27/03/2012 15:06

:)
pleasure :)

Byeckerslike · 27/03/2012 15:09

Ah ok thanks Nickel, actually that answers my question as my db and dsil have chickens and i always wondered if their neighbours complained where they would stand, they are housed like royalty though! Grin

RunningLatte · 27/03/2012 15:15

If its only this week that they've smelt,perhaps the owner has a reason for having slacked off housekeeping for a couple of days (illness?).
If the owner is nice and there's not generally a problem,I would approach her nicely if it continues.Maybe with the hosepipe ban she is having more difficulty keeping them clean?

nickelhasababy · 27/03/2012 15:17

Byeckers no probs :)

true, Running , she should be able to keep it clean without a hosepipe, though.
maybe she is busy?
maybe she's changed the stuf she uses in the run?
maybe she's turned the soil over like dita suggested.
she needs to sort it though.

hiddenhome · 27/03/2012 16:43

Even if there is a hosepipe ban, you are still permitted to use one for environmental health reasons - essential cleaning up after animals would be covered by this.

KalSkirata · 27/03/2012 16:50

my chickens dont smell as they are cleaned frequently. Weird how its just started this week. Could it be drains or something?
Now next doors dog wee and poo on a hot summers day. ick!