Chicken bald back

[Fourbecameeight]

I did think that about giving her more ammunition but I am not sure what else I can do. I am not using anything unnecessary and she would be the first to complain if they weren’t kept hygienically.

[Chucky Mama]

Wow, I wouldn't give her a list. What does she do sit next to your chicken house sniffing all day long? Whatever you use to clean them out doesn't have any bearing on her asthma, it is used in your chicken house not her house! Does she also need a list of what you put on your lawn or spray on your roses? Maybe you could tell her that you could NOT clean them out at all and that way no chemicals will bother her. No, I think that by giving her a list you will be buying into this whole charade and there will be no end to it. If she has a problem, it is down to her and her doctor to come up with a treatment regime that allows her to exist in the real world.

[Redwing]

I agree, I wouldnt give her the list, you would be pandering to her irrationalities

 

Personally I would go back to her and ask why she needs the list and if necessary ask her doctor to list the things she shouldnt be exposed to so you can exclude them yourself but then that could come across as if you have something to hide

 

As someone else said, anyone spraying their garden with stuff are not asked to a list so why should you be?

 

If pushed I would state that I used Stalosan, Virkon and Poultry Sheild but things like petroleum jelly, apple cider vinegar, poultry spice for example are not chemicals and I wouldnt list things like that and also wouldnt include things sprayed every now and again like Xeno or mite spray/powder as it will just give her a bigger list to select problems from

 

I would also specify on my list that any of the high street shops nice and gentle formulations wont kill the bugs so products for the animal/poultry market are the only solution really (even if you don't believe that!) I would also say that just because Virkon/Stalosan are strange names to a layman that they are conventional in poultry keeping and non toxic (if they are that is - check the labels!)

 

At the end of the day unless she can prove that you are doing something dangerous, are causing a noise or smell nuisance etc.. she cannot stop you having the chickens so you could choose to be 100% non co-operative with no repercussions - the fact that you have at least given them the time of day by discussing it with them is more than you actually need do

[Ygerna]

Maybe she is just disproportionately worried that her asthma makes her more vulnerable to swine flu complications. Sometimes, people get so anxious they begin to obsess, often without reason. Sounds like this is what she has done with the chickens.

 

If she has been reasonable up to now, then it may be worth sitting down with her and listening to her fears. I'd suggest she did get an allergy test, or talk to her doctor at least. I'm sure the doctor won't point the finger at the chickens if she has other animals.

She may even be thinking that having chickens nearby make getting swine flu more likely - people do get strange ideas sometimes. The doctor could put her fears at rest.

 

I'd go softly softly first - disputes with neighbours are so draining. As the others say, it is unreasonable to ask you to move the hens just because of a suspicion she has.

 

Hope you solve it.

 

Tricia

 

This is what I was going to try to say but as Tricia has already written it I will just say...

 

WSS

[Guest]

OMG - can't believe this! If you bend over backwards any further your back will snap!!!! Take the advice of the other people and ignore this woman .... arrrrg.

[sjp]

only give the list if her doctor writes to you and asks for it your just going to encuorage her. then think long and hard before handing them over

[Fourbecameeight]

Thank you all for the advice and we have decided not to give her the list.

 

I have found this quite upsetting but all the comments here have really helped. You do begin to wonder if you have done something wrong when someone is that forceful. We have had a good relationship in the past and my husband does odd jobs for them and I even cut the grass every week because they are getting on.

 

We are just going to leave it now and see if she does go to the doctor and take it from there. She doesn’t seem to want to help herself. Also there are lots of contradictions like she hasn’t been able to go in the garden all summer or open the windows at the back, so why are the chickens a problem?

[Chucky Mama]

I really feel for you. Your home is the place where you want to just escape and be safe away from all the nonsense that goes on and to have a cloud like this over you is awful. I think that the less fuel that you give her, the quicker this may all die down. I would try not to worry unless the doctor implicates you which would be strange to say the least.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Good, I'm glad you've decided against giving her the list . Try not to worry, it'll probably all blow over (hopefully right up her nose ).

[Egluntyne]

Good for you.

 

If she persists, I'd start keeping a diary, and jot down everything that has happened to date just to have a record. I'd also ask her to put any further requests in writing. People often fizzle out at that point.

 

Has she considered that she might be allergic to the local wild birds I wonder?

[chickenanne]

Welll... I have asthma, and occasionally it does get very bad to the point where I take steroid tablets rather than just the preventor inhaler. When I'm waking a few times during the night with an attack, feeling generally rubbish from lack of oxygen/lack of sleep /too much wheezing/etc I'm pretty sure I'm not completely well-balanced and reasonable .

So...I would cut her some slack: don't move the run but don't leap up screaming too much either (not that you would, but you know what I mean!).

 

It sounds to me like your neighbour needs to see her GP, get some stronger medication, such that she will then get a few decent nights sleep and a respite from the tight chest/wheezing/repeated asthma attacks. I would imagine that then she will develop a more rational view of the world in general, and your WIR in particular!

 

As an aside -asthma doesn't make you more likely to get any type of flu or cold or whatever, but if an asthmatic were to catch flu then they would be more poorly due to the already-dodgy lungs, particularly if it were to strike them when there asthma was at its worst. That's why the normal winter flu vaccine is available on the NHS to asthmatics as well as over-65's. Not just asthma that works this way, lots of chest/lung problems are the same.

[Fourbecameeight]

I did say to my OH that if I had posted on an asthma forum I would have had a different set of replies.

 

I do think she needs to see her doctor. We aren’t doing anything more to the WIR until she has. We don’t want her to be ill.

 

She doesn’t like taking medicine and swears everything in her house is natural so you do wonder if she is taking her asthma medicines at all.

[chickenanne]

I think her "chicken allergy" is completely explained by either (a) not taking her meds, or (b) needing her meds reviewed -a stronger dose or different type.

 

I wasn't trying to subtly suggest that chickens have anything to do with her problem - I really don't think they have. And nor do I think she's being reasonable, simply trying to explain/excuse her (unreasonable) behaviour!

IMO the easiest thing is to leave it alone until she's seen her doctor - it sounds like her OH realises that she is stressed, tired and miserable due to her poorly-controlled asthma, and not due to the chickens. It's spectacularly daft not to take the correct meds /not to take meds at all, but I fear that's not something you can influence....!

[Sal119]

I've just been reading your posts, wow!, I can't believe you've got such an unreasonable ridiculous neighbour! It's a shame she is poorly but it is obviously not your fault! I think you've been MORE than helpful towards her and it's now time to ignore her! What a shame you can't just get on and enjoy your chickens. Some people need to get a life!

[mags]

I am asthmatic ,kind of worry about getting flu but not in a major way

You need to take your meds if your not well

If I miss mine Boy do I know It !

 

when I became asthmatic 9 years ago , I did mess up bit and get in a right state

I did not take meds ( i'd forget ), ignored when I got breathless (Stubborn is my middle name ! )

after a few trips to hospital I realised I need to stop ignoring it and manage it

 

 

my chickens, dog & cat do not cause me problems

 

hope she goes to her doctors and sorts out her meds

 

 

Mags