Note left by tradie terrorised by chicken

It should have been a routine visit, but this energy worker was completely shook. Photo / Getty Images

A tradie had an interesting run-in with a household pet during a routine visit to a home last month.

An Energex worker left a note on the steps of a house last week, informing the tenants that he had tried to gain access to the electricity meter for a routine reading, but had been denied access by one of the residents.

"Energex called today … to obtain a meter reading but was unable to access the electricity meter because:" the printed note read.

Beneath the automated statement was a list of reasons why an Energex employee may not be able to adequately complete their job.

For instance, the premises may be locked up, a gate can't be opened, or an unrestrained dog threatens the safety of the tradie.

Strangely, none of these reasons could adequately explain the worker's predicament, so he improvised.

Instead, he ticked a box labelled: "Unsure if dog restrained", scratched out the word "dog" and replaced it with "chicken".

He then explained the aggressive chicken had, in fact, "tried to peck me!" emphasising his dismay with a hand-drawn emoji.

The Energex worker seemed a tad put off by the feathered pet. Photo / Supplied

The bemused owner of the territorial chicken arrived home to the note and did the only thing they could, given the situation: Post it on Reddit.

"Energex couldn't check my meter due to my chicken," the tenant wrote.

"My chicken just roams in my backyard; apparently he thought it was Big Bird."

The note was an instant hit, receiving about 18,000 up votes and more than 419 comments in less than 24 hours.

The resident also claimed their local "postie doesn't actually want to deliver my parcels" either, due to their chicken's aggressive behaviour.

In lieu of a guard dog, this chicken sounds pretty proactive in protecting its family.

A grainy photograph of the terrifying chicken, pecking alone in the dirt. Photo / Supplied

Reddit users commented that indeed chickens can be pretty nasty if you piss them off.

"You only have to see one killing a snake or mouse to understand that if they don't like you, they can inflict damage," one person wrote.

Another agreed, calling for new rules around aggressive chooks.

Meanwhile other pet owners have also started posting their rejections including one woman whose meter couldn't be read because of her Ilama.

The technician ticked the "other" box and then wrote: "Ilama tried to bite me over the fence. Didn't like my smell".

Another unlikely animal causing trouble. Photo / Supplied

Another customer posted a photo of her rejection, next to a photo of her tiny dog, saying "my dog is smaller than the card left in my mailbox".

Energex meter reading rejection. Photo / Facebook