Hi I'm a new member and need some advice

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Hi. Glad you joined us. You have been given excellent advice. I feed my girls then pick up the feed when they are done. If I don't, it not only attracts my dogs, but rats and
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mice.
If worse comes to worse, I suppose you could complain to your local humane society that they are not feeding their
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chickens. I would hate like heck to involve them, but if I had to, I would. Keep us posted on how it's going.
 
The problem goes deeper than that.

The neighbor is neglecting their own chickens, or so it appears.

Are the neighbor's hens tame? Can you pick one up to check their keel bone to see if they are thin?I'm an old softy. I would just buy more food and feed everybody. Sooner or later those poor birds are gonna realize where they are better off and forget about the neighbor's house and claim you as their new owner.

Do they return home to roost at night or do they try to roost with your hens?

I would be tempted to catch the birds, put them in a cage, take them home and tell the neighbor, look, you really need to keep your birds home. The next time they come over and steal my bird's food, I'm keeping them'.

Or better yet, send them a bill for the food their birds eat. Only as a last ditch would I call animal control.

BTW Many welcomes!
 
Hello there, and my warmest welcome to Backyard Chickens! I am so glad you decided to join the community and I do hope you will make yourself at home here! :frow
 
microchick said:
The problem goes deeper than that.

The neighbor is neglecting their own chickens, or so it appears.

Are the neighbor's hens tame? Can you pick one up to check their keel bone to see if they are thin?I'm an old softy. I would just buy more food and feed everybody. Sooner or later those poor birds are gonna realize where they are better off and forget about the neighbor's house and claim you as their new owner.

Do they return home to roost at night or do they try to roost with your hens?

I would be tempted to catch the birds, put them in a cage, take them home and tell the neighbor, look, you really need to keep your birds home. The next time they come over and steal my bird's food, I'm keeping them'.

Or better yet, send them a bill for the food their birds eat. Only as a last ditch would I call animal control.

BTW Many welcomes!
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My youngest son has picked one of them up before and he adores them.They do return home to roost and lay eggs they just come here to eat. I have asked them to chip in on food and thats a no go, but I see them throwing out bread crumbs every few days now. I wouldnt call animal control tho. They dont seem to be malnourished, but they have been eating at my place for months now and I have never picked them up.

I thought about keeping them, but Im sure I can get in some kind of trouble for that if they make a report. They dont seem to well put together.

Thank you for your advice and warm welcome
 
I wanted to thank everyone for the welcome and all the great advice. I did try to feed them in a pen a few couple times a day and then taking the food away when they were done, But they don't seem to happy about the change in routine. They have always had food available at all times with treats given during the day by myself or my kids. They sit at the back porch where the bin of feed is just making a stink until I give in and give them a handful or so to please them..lol.. The neighbors hens are still hanging around trying to pick up whatever food I drop along the way. Not sure if my girls are to spoiled, but I am also finding that when they are in the pen eating together now that they know I am going to take it away the older ones tend to shew the younger ones away from the food. I put an extra food bowl in with them but the big girls are not being very polite so Im thinking I may have to make another pen.

I feel bad for putting them on an eating schedule and the other hens are still hanging around
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luv4chicken said:
Hello everyone.
My name is Natashia and I started my flock almost a year ago. BYC has been my go to for info since we started so I have decided to join.
I have free range hens and am having a bit of an issue with my neighbors flock coming into my yard and scarring off my hens to eat all their food. I work from home and spend most of my day outside on my laptop because I don't like staring at the walls of my house all day..lol.. My hens stay in our yard and don't wonder probably because the kids or myself are always outside keeping them company and giving them treats.
I don't think the neighbors feed their flock regularly so they come over here to eat. I don't mind them foraging in my yard because I love chickens, I do have a very big problem with them chasing my hens away from their own food. I have talked to the neighbors and they don't care AT ALL and when I ask them to call their flock back to their yard they throw some bread crumbs down on their door step, but then they come right back.. What should I do? I don't want to hurt them, but offing them seems to be where this is heading.
Any suggestions?
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Fences make better neighbors.

Gary from Idyllwild Ca here
 

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