Neighbour just came round and demanded I get rid of my chickens!!

[ReallyReallyNearly]

I have to say I was left a gobsmacked. A corner of her garden touches the corner of ours, then we have neighbours along one long fence, with the two other fences backing onto fields so it is quite a rural location in a small village.
We put chickens in the bottom of the garden, they are quiet, content and happy. They are well fenced in, looked after, etc. The problem is her dog tends to bark at the fence a lot - it is a 6ft high panel fence. Now it did this before whenever we are in garden, children playing etc and now also barks at the chickens. The lady doesn't seem to call it off or take it in; and often leaves it barking for an hour or so.
She turned up at our door (I had never met her before this point!!) being really quite rude, demanding I get rid of the chickens as it was upsetting her dog, I barely got a word in. I wanted to suggest that maybe we move them to the other side of the garden so not to worry her dog, but really just couldn't her to be quiet long enough. Also I wanted to say that EVERYTHING upsets her dog and I hear it barking all the bloomin time - but I didn't. I just ended it by saying I'd talk to my husband.
What do I do??? I don't want a neighbour dispute but I want to keep our chickens - I fear moving them won't solve the problem.

Just ignore her. Don't pander to her by moving the chickens. She comes round again suggest she get rid of her dog.

Guinea fowl. That's what you need.

yes I would do exactly what expatinscotland says.

I have chickens and I wouldn't rehome them for anyone. Or my ducks and I even built a complete black out box so I could keep my cockerel. I also posted a letter through every house within noise distance to say that we had them and that I appreciate during egg laying time they make noise but we are very attached and would be offering free eggs to all neighbours for compensation.

No complaints yet although no eggs requested either.

Tell her to get bent, barking dogs are war more annoying than clucking.

Go to her house and demand she gets rid of the dog as it upsets your chickens, and you and your children.

OMFG! Don't even THINK of getting rid of your chickens just because this horrible big mouthed bossy woman has said so! Who the hell does she think she is??? It sounds like the problem here is her dog, not your chickens, and her total lack of basic manners! Don't let her speak to you like that again, how dare she. Tell her to wind her neck in and that her poxy dog is the problem here. Stand your ground. As far as neighbourly relations go why on earth should you be doing her a favour when she clearly doesn't give a toss if she has offended you? Her needs are not more important than yours!

I have the rage now.

Teddy, we might do!! We've not long moved here so we don't know anyone. I don't know if the chicken house has children as well.

If it is you, like I said they're slightly annoying but that doesn't last long. Unlike the neighbours who argue every.single.night.

Alternatively, get a cockerel to give her something to really complain about!

Or a peacock

Geese.

or a parrot. Teach it to say "fuck off".

Personally I'd make a point of rattling her fence last thing at night, first thing in the morning and extra at the weekends on principle. Your chickens are useful - I doubt her dog is.

Tell her to get rid of her dog.

Well my next door neighbour has chickens and sometimes my dog barks at them, I see this as my problem not hers, I tell him off and make him come in when he does it , I have apologised to her about it too!

Seriously tell her to f off!!

You're in a rural area. There will be animals!
She's BU, not you.
Enjoy your lovely girls!

Cheeky cow just pop some estate agents brochures through her letter box.

I would LOVE a sweaty parrot. I've only ever managed to teach the budgies to whistle.

Sweary parrot, not sweaty parrot, FFS. That would just be weird.

And titsalina- you made me laugh "...get bent". I haven't heard that phrase in about thirty years!

Teach the parrot to say "Stop barking!"

Whilst I agree with the sentiment of many posters above, I'd probably err on the side of tactfulness in the first instance.

Pop round there, say you've talked about it with your husband and you'd both be perfectly happy to move the chickens to the other side of the garden (as you mentioned) so they're not right up against the fence; but that if that doesn't work you think the problem must lie more with the dog, and that it does seem to bark at an awful lot of nothing as it is.

That way you're being seen to be sympathetic, but if it doesn't work she's clear there will be nothing more you can do for her ever-barking mutt and she's on her own!

Completely agree, and she is cheeky cow. However, have you checked you are definitely allowed to keep them? I know deeds of some houses say not, and I would be worried that if you piss her off, she may enforce this somehow.

If you're allowed, tell her to fuck off, obvs.

Why has she chosen now to complain?
Perhaps someone complained about her noisy dog.
Not sure what you can do, try moving chickens? At least then you have shown willing - she is in the wrong but best to try to be on good terms

Your chickens are useful - I doubt her dog is.

To be fair a barking dog whilst completely annoying can be useful in terms of security. Although a dog that barks all the time possibly wouldn't worry a burglar too much as it's barking would likely be ignored.

She would get a one time pass because she might just be having a bad day and have needed a victim to have a rant to. Today that was you and your chooks.

If she comes round again though give it to her with both barrels about her bonkers dog and pelt her with eggs as she fucks back off down the path.

I'm in the sort of mood today to skip straight to the latter though.

I would go round and say to her
"I have spoken with my husband and we are both of the opinion that you are barking!"

Our neighbours across the road keep chickens (suburban Brum).

We only knew when a PCSO knocked on our door and asked if we had seen anything unusual the previous evening as our neighbours chickens had all been "stolen". . We'd never heard a squeak.

Now our next-door-but-one-neighbours dog on the other hand ....

Having tried the reasonable explanations about her dogs behaviour suggested above, I'd forego the cockerel and go straight to Guinea fowl if she gives you any more trouble. However I'm just in a bad mood after being shouted at by an entitled bmw driving prick who appears to think he owns the road after skipping a red light. Ahhh as you were.