My neighbor lets her chickens free range my yard constantly?

[gtaus]

I think Jane has a problem killing chickens, probably is attached to them all emotionally, but arent we all. I think you could offer her help to manage her flock size. Maybe offer her a lesson in how to cull and prep them for her freezer.

I think that is a great suggestion. If culling is an option, there might also be some poultry processors in your area that will butcher, bag, and prep the birds for the freezer. There is a poultry processor down the road (90 miles) from where I live that will process chickens for about $3.00 each. Because of the travel distance, that is not an option for me for only a few birds, but if I lived in that town, that certainly would be a consideration.

Butchering chickens is not rocket science, but if you have never done it, than it might be hard to try, especially if it's your own birds that you have grown attached to over the years.

 

[Banana01]

The other option i do not suggest, but only mention, is to go open season on her chickens. Invite your friends, round them up, and they are your dinner. When someone lets their chickens roam free, they do so knowing they may not return.

I dont recommend this because it would make you look like a huge jerk, and she would hate you for it. But legally she has no standing if you were to make her chickens disappear. Again i recommend my first suggestion above, with the suggestion of trapping the ones on your property almost as a joke, but it is also probably common especially in more lawless places. It would be theft if yoi went on her property and stole her hens, but it is not theft if you trap her chickens on your property. Immoral yes, but you are also sort of desperate.

 

[Banana01]

I think that is a great suggestion. If culling is an option, there might also be some poultry processors in your area that will butcher, bag, and prep the birds for the freezer. There is a poultry processor down the road (90 miles) from where I live that will process chickens for about $3.00 each. Because of the travel distance, that is not an option for me for only a few birds, but if I lived in that town, that certainly would be a consideration.

Butchering chickens is not rocket science, but if you have never done it, than it might be hard to try, especially if it's your own birds that you have grown attached to over the years.

The thread starter said jane texts him for help, she is obviously a new chicken keeper. I bet she feels anxious every day knowing her chickens are running around, and even feels helpless because she probably cant stomach killing them herself. A poultry processor would be a good suggeation for her.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Or, you could suggest she join BYC.

We have strong opinions as individuals, and definite leanings as a community. I think you have some idea of the advice she would recieve. Ultimately, benefits her, benefits her chickens, benefits you and your other neighbors.

 

[aart]

Any suggestions? I'm very confident just telling her to keep her chickens contained will not be well received at all.

I'd have told her immediately, or at least after the bird ruined your gardens, while handing her a bill for the new mulch and the neighbors mailbox.

 

[Chickibee]

Could you offer to help your neighbor build a fence to keep their chickens in their yard before the situation gets worse? Sounds like they were your friends at one time and maybe just the offer to help will get them thinking about how other people feel about their free range chickens in everybody's yards. Most people I know, including myself, have chickens for awhile, then maybe not again for some time. Hate to lose friendships over a temporary situation. But it does sound like your "crazy chicken lady" next door is not very concerned about their responsibility with their birds.

Her husband is a welder by trade, and they are pretty industrious as a couple--They build all kinds of stuff, and I've seen pics of the coop he single handedly built her for when they chickens before moving here, in another state (and it had a top on the run). I don't think the notion of containment is the issue.

She would never process birds--she hates chicks, and doesn't raise dual purpose or show birds. She has them solely for eggs (which she sells), which is why I don't understand why the rooster was added to our lives.

 

[Chickibee]

You can see my flock in my sig - if I had a neighbor like her, it would have already cost me my NPIP certification.

I don't understand--does one not qualify for NPIP if there are nuisance chickens about?

I am NPIP. These chickens never come into contact with mine (they have tried to run into my garage when the door has been open and they've heard me filling feed buckets though). Could this make me lose NPIP?

 

[TwistedTayy]

I’m in a similar situation. I have no neighbors that have complained but I definitely have more birds than allowed (but our ordinance allows roosters).

That being said I take great care to ensure my birds don’t wander onto my neighbors properties. I’m on two acres. My ducks and geese free range with the help of plastic 3ft poultry fence.. some times they escape under it but I’m there so frequently that I can catch them before they even leave my property. The chickens are another story. One of the breeds I have is Egyptian Fayoumi. They LOVE free ranging and range WIDE. Once they started hopping the fence I made the decision to cull the roosters (their leaders) even though they were GREAT roosters. Now they get 1 hour of free range time a few days a week just before dark and that way they don’t get too far without having to return home. But even they haven’t left my property because I started this before they got too confident. If you’re going to break the rules, you still have to be respectful of your neighbors because they are the ones that your rule breaking depends on.

Another point is that if no one has complained to Jane, she may just assume that no one has a problem with her chickens doing this. You know what they say about assuming BUT she may not even be aware of the problem or even that those ordinances exist. Education is the first step and that includes bringing it to her attention that free ranging like that is irresponsible. The second is offering to help her find alternatives.

 

[Chickibee]

That is what I was going to say. It isn't fair but is pragmatic and in your long term best interest.

I understand where you're coming from, but of the 10 houses on this street or immediately adjacent on the next street within earshot, four of them have chickens and a rooster (one neighbor has two roosters--but you don't see them running by down the street). It's never been an issue, but also no one else intentionally lets their rooster wander the street and go to other peoples yards, driveways, windowsills and garages to crow.

Our street is fairly developed, but this area was agricultural previously--we're surrounded by vineyards, orchards, a horse boarding facility a mile away, and fields, I'm kind of surprised the rooster rule exists, but it does. I'm NPIP, I show and breed, I wouldn't want to get rid of my roo just bc my neighbor is $h!#^&.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I don't understand--does one not qualify for NPIP if there are nuisance chickens about?

I am NPIP. These chickens never come into contact with mine (they have tried to run into my garage when the door has been open and they've heard me filling feed buckets though). Could this make me lose NPIP?

Interpretations vary, but locally, I'm told my NPIP cert agrees I will have no noncertified fowl on my property. A fence between is considered inadequate, because so many poultry diseases require no physical contact. I could argue the 200 foot+ (my birds get 5 acres roughly middle of my 30 acre property - though the back buffer is only about 35 foot of virgin timber at the closest point) buffer between run and property line should get considered, but easier to cull the intruders and call to arrange recertification.