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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU- Neighbour repeatedly complaining about rats near our chickens despite pest control

81 replies

Becnextdoor · 19/05/2026 22:51

Do not have many neighbours, only 4 on our street. I live next to this lady, detached houses but our garden is seperated with a hedge if that makes sense. She has lived in that house for 4 years and we used to get along in a good neighbour way - as she lived alone I would often do garden work for her and she came round for a family barbecue once a year, normal neighbour stuff.
We (me and my wife) have had pet chickens for about 7 years now, they are located near the connecting hedge, out of her sight, and she’s never had a problem with them, however the chickens have randomly just now started getting rats, and as a result some of them have gone in her garden, she has messaged to complain, and came round twice to complain, all in the same week, after the first complaint we told her we were dealing with it - as we were, however rat traps take time and don’t work instantly, however, she kept coming round and telling us it was our problem and we need to sort it, and getting progressively annoyed, even though we were managing with it. We payed for pest control to come today, and they even went and spoke to her about how it was getting sorted - as we were tired of her continuous complaints, I didn’t even get a ‘thank you’ or anything, and even after the pest control she is still complaining. She is about 40 years old and a lot of her money is “mummy’s money”, private school and parents brought her a nice house in a nice area, so especially with knowing that, we really think she’s just acting abit entitled now. We are probably going to fall out with our neighbour over this, are we in the wrong for being annoyed? edit: The rats only started coming the same week she got a new cat and dog, she’s also recently had an oil spill - which apparently can attract rats, I don’t know if that’s relevant but.

OP posts:
Inmyuggs · 20/05/2026 04:45

I would never have chickens or a compost for the exrra attrsction of rats as it is a known
Can you ask her to stop calling in.
Her lifestyle and fortunate circumstances are I think irrelivant.

estrogone · 20/05/2026 04:59

You need to put the chickens into boarding for 2 weeks. Whilst they are away completely remove all food, clear out the bedding and completely disinfect the coop. Leave the coop open and clean for a few weeks and the rats will bugger off - they don't hang about for no food.

After a few weeks you can return the chooks with controls on their feed (proper containers) and maintain a strict cleaning schedule. Daily sweeping, weekly disinfectant.

If you can't do that I would call time on having chickens, as it will be a never ending problem that your neighbour should not have to deal with.

JulietteHasAGun · 20/05/2026 05:50

Becnextdoor · 20/05/2026 01:45

Rats will honestly live anywhere and everywhere. While I know chickens really attract rats, we keep the coop tidy and have never had them in the 7 years we have kept chickens for, so I do think there is another cause that is also causing the rats.

Sorry, I think you’re deluded over that. I live in the countryside and keep,chickens and have never had rats. So they’re not everywhere. You are not dealing successfully with your rat problem which is why she keeps complaining. I would too if I was your neighbour.

I appreciate you haven’t had them before but that’s irrelevant. They have now found you and your set up is the reason they’re not leaving.

what do you store your chicken food in?

Barney16 · 20/05/2026 05:58

I think you are underestimating how lots of people feel about rats. It's an almost visceral reaction. Quite rightly so because they carry disease. Rats are everywhere but we tend not to see them so when they are visible people's reaction is very strong. Your neighbour doesn't need to thank you for your efforts to get rid of them, you just need to persevere. I hope you get it sorted soon.

Laiste · 20/05/2026 06:01

Rats are opportunists which gather where there is a good food source. Farm yards and live stock (and gardens where people over feed the birds all year! - our old neighbours).

Logic dictates it def is the chicken food or eggs they're coming for.

She came round twice yes? Is that pestering?

Why do you want thanks for calling in pest control ?

As for all the info about her age ... what the hell has being 40 got to do with it?!

NeelyOHara · 20/05/2026 06:01

Becnextdoor · 20/05/2026 01:45

Rats will honestly live anywhere and everywhere. While I know chickens really attract rats, we keep the coop tidy and have never had them in the 7 years we have kept chickens for, so I do think there is another cause that is also causing the rats.

What other reason? Do the pest control people agree with you about how her dog and cat must’ve attracted the rats? No, because it’s bollocks. My family member had a neighbour like you and they couldn’t even leave the windows open it got so bad.
Your attitude is revolting.

curious79 · 20/05/2026 06:02

(Accidental duplication)

curious79 · 20/05/2026 06:02

With our chickens, their feed bags are in steel bins and then we feed them 2-3 times a day but do not leave out feed - the amount of rats has massively gone down

You can also buy feeders that the chickens have to step on for them to open - they learn how to use them quite quickly. Again, rats can’t open them

I went to private school - turning this into a private school chippy rant is dumb

Watercooler · 20/05/2026 06:03

I'm team neighbour. Get rid of your chickens. It's oh so middle class and quaint to have chickens but no one wants to sit in their garden watching rats darting out from the hedge. Pest control will get rid of some of the current rats but they'll be back in no time. Chickens also stink.

PinkHairbrushClub · 20/05/2026 06:03

What kind of feeder are you using? There are a few things to be done to deter them; including using a treadle feeder so rats can’t access the feed. Keep your spare feed etc in a metal bin. Get cats. We have chickens and no rat issue. We did have rat visitors but changing the feeder helped.

StrongTea · 20/05/2026 06:15

We have chickens and rats can be a problem. I have a camera set up so can work out how they are getting access. If they haven’t got a food source they’ll move on.

Stoicandhappy · 20/05/2026 06:33

Your chickens are attracting the rats.

You sound jealous of her financial situation, why mention it?

She has every right to be cross.

Moveyourbleedingarse · 20/05/2026 06:36

I keep chickens, I have rats. If my neighbours complained, I'd rehome the chickens.

Thankfully I don't have neighbours close enough!

I would also be upset op. Our rats come into the house every winter and have chewed through more than one pipe. (thatched house). It sucks.

Sipperskipper · 20/05/2026 06:37

I’ve also kept chickens for years, but for the first time this year, we experienced a rat problem. Definitely caused by our chickens! Once they know they have a reliable food source and start breeding, it quickly escalates. Had to get pest control in, they were gone within 3-4 weeks.

Moveyourbleedingarse · 20/05/2026 06:37

Fyi, our rats don't eat the chicken feed, they eat the chicken poo.

I know this because the feed can still be there the next morning, even when I've seen the enclosure full of rats. They also steal all the eggs at the moment.

Spargaszezon · 20/05/2026 06:39

Whilst she’s unreasonable complaining and expecting this to be sorted immediately (rats are clever and won’t touch new traps for while), chickens are an issue. I know we’ve had rats in the garden when we had chickens but we have big gardens and it didn’f bother me.
Unfortunately rats can even feed on chicken droppings/attack the chickens so I don’t think you’ll be able to get rid of the rats easily if at all.
And her age, source of money/marital status is not your business and totally irrelevant.

Chocyulelog · 20/05/2026 06:54

Jees, don't plan to fall out with her over this.

She's probably just terrified of rats, I would be.

You have a very weird attitude towards her and mention v irrelevant things about her, have some empathy

Astra53 · 20/05/2026 07:10

A neighbour four doors down had rats. The place was a tip. Pest control was called in. One of the fleeing rats managed to get into our house and die in an inaccessible place. The resulting smell and distress/inconvenience this caused was horrendous. It went on for weeks. A couple of other neighbours had similar issues.

Your neighbour has every right to be upset. You need to get your chicken coop in order. If necessary the chickens need to be removed.

Sartre · 20/05/2026 07:15

I’d be pissed off if my NDN brought rats into my garden too, who wouldn’t?! Her background is totally irrelevant as well. You need to make sure you collect the eggs daily and don’t leave any chicken feed out, only feed them what they’ll eat and clear up what they haven’t immediately.

MDDR · 20/05/2026 07:19

YABU for expecting her to thank you for solving a problem that you created and is yours.

Hoardasurass · 20/05/2026 07:20

@Becnextdoor your really showing both your stupidity (by claiming that your chickens aren't the problem) and your jealousy of a woman whom you presume has had an easier life than you.
What you fail to understand is that she can complain to the council about your chickens and the rats that they are attracting. Environment health can and will insist that you get rid of your chickens because they are creating a health hazard, all because you are to lazy to clean up their poop everyday and collect all eggs daily.
Also if she gets a rat infestation in her home due to your chickens you will be liable for the cost of the exterminator over as many months or years that it takes to get rid of them all and the cost of home repairs and cleaning up after them.
You can deflect and try to paint your neighbour as the problem by stating her age and financial situation in the hope that we will just say she's a typical "Karen" but that misogynistic shit won't fly here and it doesn't matter how many threads you make about this the answer will always be same you are being unreasonable and a misogynistic idiot.

Divebar2021 · 20/05/2026 07:25

I’m now learning that there is such a thing as chicken boarding.

Joystir59 · 20/05/2026 07:25

We had to re-home our chickens for this exact reason- their food was attracting rats. It's not ok to keep chickens in a garden in a residential street.

MoonWoman69 · 20/05/2026 07:29

Why have you made 2 threads about this topic for a start. And yes, YABU.

LowPowerModes · 20/05/2026 07:29

She went to private school so she has to put up with a rat infestation? Right.