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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to wonder what has happened to behaviour?

34 replies

Arohaitis · 05/04/2014 11:38

I have just caught my neighbour trying to steal my chicken!
Went down the garden and saw my neighbour standing right by my fence with her 3 year old kind of throwing something into my garden calling out to my chicken. Then I heard her say to her son 'see if you can get her to come over here and stay with us'
I mean really my neighbour is late 30's early 40's, probably has a degree, certainly has a very well paid job (i.e. well over 50K) normal, non sociopathic, average kind of neighbour. The kind of person you find 20 of in every suburban street. I can't imagine there are any animal welfare concerns since she is quite happy to ask us to feed her chickens when she is away. We live in a middle class small town high employment relatively privileged area. People move here for the 'niceness'
(sorry I'm not trying to sound cocky just trying to emphasise the average nice suburban nature of our suburb)
What is going through her mind? Does she think we won't notice our chicken in her garden? Does she really believe she can just take someone else's things if she wants them?

So that's it really what hope is there for society when (kind of) middle aged middle class people think they can just take what they want from their neighbours encouraging their 3 year old to help themselves at the same time?

So AIBU

OP posts:
Pleasejustgo · 05/04/2014 11:39

First thought - pissed.

picnicbasketcase · 05/04/2014 11:41

She has chickens of her own, you only have one, but she tried to steal yours? Confused

HecatePropylaea · 05/04/2014 11:42

What did she say when you went out there and confronted her?

HappyAgainOneDay · 05/04/2014 11:45

Have you tried ringing yours?

NormHonal · 05/04/2014 11:46

Some folks have a weird sense of entitlement.

Someone of my acquaintance has managed to "annexe" several of our belongings over the years by borrowing/losing them and forgetting to return them.

I'd best not get started on the behaviour of people in the local coffee shop...taking tables from under the noses of old ladies, leaving behind a mess of food and slops after their children have run rampant (I have two young DCs myself) as that is a whole other thread!!!

tobybox · 05/04/2014 11:47

I don't understand why you immediately jumped to the conclusion that she wanted to steal your chicken.

Maybe her 3 year old just wanted to play with it.

HecatePropylaea · 05/04/2014 12:01

Possibly due to hearing her say to the child "see if you can get her to come over here to stay with us" ?

stay interpreted as stay, remain, live. Rather than borrow, pet, play with for a bit and return.

That's how I'd interpret it anyway.

But even if the child did want to play with it, it's not theirs and it's out of order to try to remove it from the OPs property for any reason, or for any length of time.

And the neighbour has chickens of her own, according to the OP, so why not have the kid play with them? Surely a chicken is a chicken is a chicken?

BlackeyedSusan · 05/04/2014 12:04

yabu to have a chicken... but only because I am jealous!

Original poster
Arohaitis · 05/04/2014 12:11

Pissed no too early she is a very normal upstanding person (or so I thought) and she is very likely to need to go out in her car later

I didn't confront her, pathetic I know but really what do i say? plus it was my husband that told me so I went out to see, heard her speak to the kid (I'm guessing he heard similar from what he said) went back to speak to him, chased the kids out to swimming since they were close to being late then when i went back out they were gone)

No but maybe we will but like I say what hope for society when you have to do this to protect yourself fro your neighbour

I have a stalker 'friend' (long story) and one of the very many things that bugs me abut her is the mess she leaves on a cafe table it is a disgrace!

toby
a) maybe the 'stay with us'
b)she has her own chickens for her 3 year old to play with
c) I don't really think chickens and 3 year olds play that well together, 3 yr olds get a bit excited, chickens run away etc
d) we were violently broken into about 3 weeks ago so i am a bit touchy
e) I hadn't thought of that, maybe it was what she said and the way maybe it was the premeditated food she was throwing, maybe it was because of d but interesting point maybe I'll just ask her not to try and entice our chicken for a playdate since she is too timid

OP posts:
Original poster
Arohaitis · 05/04/2014 12:13

oh Susan they are cute cute cute this one is called Ruby

OP posts:
rabbitlady · 05/04/2014 12:19

perhaps she thinks your chicken would be happier if it had friends to live with.

why are you all keeping chickens anyway?

Topaz25 · 05/04/2014 12:33

She shouldn't be feeding your chicken without your permission or trying to encourage it over to her garden. I'd tighten up security. Can you reinforce the fence or coop or move the coop closer to your house? Just seeing that might put her off but if asked you can always blame foxes. Or politely mention that you saw her son feeding and trying to play with your chicken and you'd prefer that he plays with her chickens and your chicken stays in your garden. That might get the message across without mentioning theft.

Edendance · 05/04/2014 12:37

Maybe she said 'play' rather than 'stay'...!

Imnotmadeofeyes · 05/04/2014 12:38

Doe

Imnotmadeofeyes · 05/04/2014 12:40

Sorry!

Does owning livestock give you farmers rights? You could invest in a shot gun (no ammo, I'm not barbaric) and just stand there staring at her with it cocked over your arm?

Channel a bit of 'the hills have eyes'

WorraLiberty · 05/04/2014 12:42

Have you tried ringing yours?

Fucking hell! Shock

So even chickens have mobile phones these days? Grin

CabbagesAndKings · 05/04/2014 12:45

If she has her own chickens she doesn't need to feed yours. make sure your fences are all very strong to stop crazy chicken thief luring your solitary chook over

BringBackBod · 05/04/2014 12:45

I'm also wondering if your DH misheard her too.
Maybe she said "play" not "stay .

almondcake · 05/04/2014 12:48

If you have only one chicken and it lives right by a flock of chickens, its instinct would be to join the flock. Why your neighbour is involving herself I do not know.

I don't think it is indicative of a general increase in livestock rustling.

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 05/04/2014 12:49

How do you know her salary? Just curious.

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 05/04/2014 12:50

If you are that close you know those things cant uou ask her what she was doing?

ComradePlexiglass · 05/04/2014 12:55

Is Ruby very different to her chickens? Could she have thought that Ruby was one of her own chickens who had escaped into your garden?

Original poster
Arohaitis · 05/04/2014 12:56

I know her salary because I know her job very well

I was going to say the phone thing too but this is a serious thread!!

I heard her say stay myself

I dream about setting up some internet computer photo thingy to catch any thieves didn't think it would be for the neighbour

OP posts:
pigsDOfly · 05/04/2014 13:00

Well obviously the chicken needs a mobile Worral otherwise how is the OP going to call it in for its supper when it goes to play next door.

I kept having to check what I was reading here. Would a 3 year old really play with a chicken, make more sense if it was a kitten, don't chicken peck. My DM used to keep chickens when I was a child and I remember them as nasty buggers. Wouldn't have dreamed of playing with them. Or maybe chickens were more feral in my day.

Sounds to me like she was definitely trying to steal it.

Topaz25 · 05/04/2014 13:08

We would love to have chickens but live in a crap area where thugs break into the local allotments and steal chickens (and tools and everything else that isn't nailed down). I don't know if it is reassuring or disappointing to find out this sort of thing happens in nice areas as well.

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