Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

To be pissed off with my next door neighbour and her chickens

49 replies

Rollergirl1 · 07/07/2012 18:03

Next door neighbour is a bit nuts. She has loads and loads of animals. A few dogs, loads of cats, rabbits, rats, and now she has got chickens. She also takes in foreign exchange students and has just has a very premature baby (born at 28 weeks) who is now at home. Only reason I add all this is cos I don't want to be accused of drip-feeding...

We are in a very residential, suburban area. We are finding the smell wafting over from next door absolutely overwhelming and I can only think it has to be coming from the chickens as it is only in the last few months that i have noticed it. It's got to the point where my children don't want to go in to the garden because of the smell. I don't know if the recent humid weather is making it worse but the last few weeks literally as soon as I open the back door it hits you!

I don't know anything about keeping chickens. Is this smell normal? I'm sure it's much more tolerable if you are in a rural area but here, when you are attached to another house, it really is unbearable.

The reason I mention the other stuff upthread. Yesterday my daughter and I knocked on her door to ask her something. She didn't answer but I noticed about 10 flies on the glass pane on the other side of the door. This has now got me worried that the smell is because the chickens aren't being kept in clean conditions and that is the reason for the smell.

Can someone please enlighten me if it is normal for there to be such a strong smell from keeping chickens? If it is then fine, but I'm not sure I can put up with that smell long-term and would I be unreasonable to complain? If it isn't then what do I do?

OP posts:

JarethTheGoblinKing · 07/07/2012 18:05

I don't think it's normal, no. Inevitable that they'll stink a bit in hot weather, but not to the point where kids don't want to be in the garden.

When was the last time you saw her, btw?

JuliaScurr · 07/07/2012 18:07

ours didn't smell. pecked. destroyed next door's veg patch. pecked. escaped. pecked. squawked. but smell - no.

ditavonteesed · 07/07/2012 18:09

not normal no, mine smell a bit if I dig the run over and the house smells when it is due for cleaning out,. but you wouldnt smell it from my neighbours garden and I live in a terrace house. I would actually be a bit worried about your neighbour.

MousyMouse · 07/07/2012 18:10

chickens smell awfull if they are not kept properly.

can you contact your council's environmental health team?

UnChartered · 07/07/2012 18:14

sounds like the neighbour might need a little bit of help/guidance - have you spoken to her about it yourself?

sometimes where there animals involved, the 'caring' side of a person gets a little embarrassed to admit they've bitten off more than they can chew..

Original poster

Rollergirl1 · 07/07/2012 18:15

I have seen her in the last few days pushing her baby in the pram. In the past, before she had the baby, we have knocked on her door and when she has opened the door the smell was so bad that DD (young and unaware) commented on the smell.

I have to admit to being a bit worried about the baby, but keep thinking to myself that surely with her being so premature and being let home from hospital, that there would be HV's going there quite regularly and so everything must be okay?

OP posts:

JarethTheGoblinKing · 07/07/2012 18:17

tbh I think I'd have to say something, embarrasing as it is... but in as gentle a way as possible.. what's she like?

UnChartered · 07/07/2012 18:20

anyone can go to a door, if it's opened to them is the difference

please talk to her, sounds like you could be helping her in a big way

Alliwantisaroomsomewhere · 07/07/2012 18:21

Sounds like something is wrong - could just be a case of things getting on top of her. I would do something about it, but would probably not say anything to her myself. Rather call the appropriate bodies to help her out.

JarethTheGoblinKing · 07/07/2012 18:23

I'd ring the HV to make sure someone's checking up on her and that she's coping.. possibly offer a helping hand as well.

PooPooInMyToes · 07/07/2012 18:24

Perhaps call the local hv team?

Do you think she would react badly if you spoke to her?

TunipTheVegemal · 07/07/2012 18:24

Mine don't smell. I am paranoid about it and often I open the door and smell a stink and panic, then realise it's wafting over from the farm opposite and nothing to do with the hens. How many birds has she got?

RabbitsMakeBrownEggs · 07/07/2012 18:24

Perhaps offer to help? Easy to get behind on cleaning schedules with newborn babies around, particularly premature ones.

We have tonnes of flies at the moment, no matter how many times I try to spray them gone, more turn up. So I am keeping stuff covered and spraying morning and evening.

What exactly is the smell from her house? Animal smells?

Scuttlebutter · 07/07/2012 18:26

Could you offer to help? With a new baby, she could do with a hand. Maybe offer help wiht shopping, dog walking, house cleaning, take her a few home cooked meals?

Paiviaso · 07/07/2012 18:32

I have chickens, they do not smell. However, if you never cleaned out their house (or run, if they are kept in one), then the build up of poop would start to smell I'm sure.

It sounds like she's struggling to care for all her animals. This is unfair to the animals, but she might not be willing to admit she can't keep them all. For this reason I would probably go over her head and call an authority, but if you she's pretty reasonable and that maybe you can offer some advice or help than perhaps you could try talking to her about it.

Original poster

Rollergirl1 · 07/07/2012 18:34

She is very very mental. We used to hear her hoovering and shouting at animals at 4.00 in the morning.

The smell in the past when she has opened the door was pure animal smells. But the smell coming over from the garden is in another league.

She was in hospital for 10 weeks prior to having her baby because she had pre-eclampsia and the animals were on their own the whole time with neighbours and friends going in to feed them. I wasn't asked to help, perhaps because I work, but other neighbours tell me the house was absolutely awful.

I think I will perhaps try and talk to her. This response has confirmed my fears.

OP posts:

UnChartered · 07/07/2012 18:45

please don't call her 'mental' though, i think you might mean she has a different lifestyle to you, but hoovering at 4am is a good thing when you're worried about cleanliness isn't it?

Original poster

Rollergirl1 · 07/07/2012 18:53

We "used" to hear her hoovering. Not anymore. I don't want to offend anyone with my use of language but please don't tell me what you think I mean. It isn't just having an alternative lifestyle. It's far more than that.

OP posts:

UnChartered · 07/07/2012 18:57

i think you've described someone in need of some help and perhaps intervention

calling her names isn't fair though - please talk to her and get her the help she and her family/animals deserve

ICutMyFootOnOccamsRazor · 07/07/2012 19:03

Poor woman. She sounds like she is struggling and needs help. Maybe you could offer her some?

--Instead of coming on here and being rude and judgey about her.--

Original poster

Rollergirl1 · 07/07/2012 19:04

I think through this thread I have come to the conclusion that she needs help, which was my sole purpose for starting the thread. I want to help her. I am concerned. That is why I started the thread.

I wasn't calling her names. I was describing the situation. I don't appreciate you saying assuming i'm being bitchy when i am not.

OP posts:

Rollergirl1 · 07/07/2012 19:07

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by Mumsnet for breaking our Talk Guidelines. Replies may also be deleted.

UnChartered · 07/07/2012 19:16

woah there

you come onto AIBU asking if it's ok for you to complain about the smell, and had some lovely advice, no-one is saying you're being bitchy

IMO it is constructive advice re; calling someone who is obviously struggling 'mental'

lotsofcheese · 07/07/2012 19:23

As the mother of an ex-premature baby, born at 29 weeks due to severe pre-eclampsia, I can tell you that it's common to hit the wall emotionally when your baby comes home. Everything catches up with you. I was traumatised by the experience of having a baby in the neonatal unit for 3 months.

During the last few months, your neighbour will have experienced situations no parent would wish to go through. For example: not knowing if her LO will make it through the night (or not), lumbar punctures, her child being resuscitated, having continual blood tests.....As well as a near-death-experience herself. It's understandable why mothers of premature babies have higher rates of PND.,

Please reach out to her; she is probably struggling. The chickens are the least of it! Knock on her door; ask if there is anything she needs or that you can do for her.

JarethTheGoblinKing · 07/07/2012 19:28

OP - calm :)
(you can't use the word mental in that way. It's clear what you meant buy you should have phrased it differently)

Flip

1 2