to wonder what has happened to behaviour?

[Arohaitis]

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

If I live next door to you (and I do have chickens) I would be thinking, why has my neighbour, knowing full well I have chickens, gone and got ONE chicken, that will have to look sadly at the others through the fence as it lives its life in solitary confinement. They are sociable birds, and they can't bond with humans like a dog can, even if you call it Ruby.

But I would not mention it, or try to liberate lonely Ruby. I can still see an over sensitive person with few boundaries might attempt to encourage it away, however ridiculous this may well be. I think that is the most plausible explanation for your neighbour's odd behaviour.

If you buy a second chicken, she may stop.

Id assume she was just playing about with her 3 year old and you took her too literally.

Dunno about hens- but your neighbour sounds like a cock to me.

we currently have one chicken since the other one died, we are trying to decide whether to get some more now or wait a bit (and actually were going to get another one but it fell through)

Topaz thoroughly depressing isn't it?

lol Saucy!!!
tea on keyboard now

could she have been joking around with her 3 year old?

My first thought was the same as whathaveiforgotten.

I would try that then OP. Get another one and see if shestops her chicken coaxing.

you have one chicken? She has more?

Bloody obvious isn't it? Your chicken is lonely so shes inviting it on a play date.