Neighbour's kids frightening my chooks

[Birdybooo]

I have no issue with my neighbour before, they keep to themselves usually. But since we got the chooks I have noticed random stuff in my garden. We live in the suburb so we are located close to our neighbours. My backyard face their front yard. I have found random food, flowers and food wrappers in my garden, but what's really annoying are the kid's balls...all sorts and all size. Before, I would see one ball a year ...if that. But in the last 2 weeks I have found 5 basketball size balls in or around the chicken's run. Twice the chooks were so startled they jumped the fencing of their enclosure. I have already address the mum regarding the random food but she didn't seem too concerned. I do not know what I should say to these people without causing neighbourhood wars. How woud you guys approach these people?

 

[arcy liger]

warn them immediately and do not give them balls back
if they are not concerned then let your chooks into their yard and say sorry ..

 

[Birdybooo]

I m too thinking I should keep all their balls, we have 6 foot fencing so the chickens are contained in our yard, looks like the kids have climbed the fence and throw stuff at the chooks, it's stressing them out which stresses me out. We have dogs, maybe we can blame the loss of balls on the dogs or something?

 

[teach1rusl]

Before just keeping the balls, tell you them you'd like to talk with them about concerns you have about your chickens (make sure the kids are part of the conversation)- tell them how many balls you've found near your coops and how it's scaring your birds. Tell them that a basketball landing on one of your birds could injure it..
Then, if it happens again, don't say anything and just toss the ball in the garbage can...eventually they'll run out of play balls...

 

[Kelsie2290]

Those balls would just disappear, garbage would be tossed back over. If the parents don't care there is not much you can directly do regarding the children except build a better/higher fence. I would also do something about the fencing for the chicks if they can get out. What are the laws concerning how/where chicks have to be contained where you are? You most certainly don't want them getting into the neighbors yard if you would be the one getting into trouble if they report it.

 

[Birdybooo]

There isn't any law regarding how we keep the chooks other than to have less than 12 (we have 5), the chooks can't jump the fence separating us and the neighbours. Their run is open top and being heavier breed birds they don't ever jump their run's fencing...until the last two times the balls came flying at them. I have OCD (kidding...but not really lol) so I clean their enclosure and run twice a day, once before work and once after, no smell...not even during wet season. They will never complain about how we keep the chooks. I think I will have to start collecting the balls and show them physical evidence for them to do anything. The hubby also thought about going higher on the fencing separating us. But you guys are right, gonna start keeping and disposing them balls.

 

[sourland]

Those balls would just disappear, garbage would be tossed back over. If the parents don't care there is not much you can directly do regarding the children except build a better/higher fence. I would also do something about the fencing for the chicks if they can get out. What are the laws concerning how/where chicks have to be contained where you are? You most certainly don't want them getting into the neighbors yard if you would be the one getting into trouble if they report it.

X 2

 

[Kelsie2290]

As long as the chicks are safe in your yard, I can just see the kids chasing them through the neighborhood for the entertainment value and the parents calling animal control because one chick scratched up a petunia.
Well, not sure you can actually go high enough on the fence for the kids not to be able to throw a ball over it if that is their game. Since you have already tried to tell the parents and didn't get anywhere, if you want to give them another chance, collecting the balls and calling the parents over to come get the balls (inconvenience the parents if possible) sounds nicely passive aggressive while appearing to be helpful. Dear neighbor, I found these toys in my yard, why I can't imagine that your darlings would purposely throw things in my yard so they probably belong to someone else, but in case one did accidentally get thrown in my yard while your darlings were playing, perhaps you can come over and look at the toys in case they are yours, and you want them back. I'd also be magic marking something on the balls so I could identify them if they reappear.

 

[hcurrie7]

Why lie about it? You are not the one throwing balls at their helpless animals. I would be a little more assertive. Try to catch them in the act and tell them if it keeps up you will contact the police. I also would not let my animals in their yard as someone else suggested. They sound like cruel people and you do not want your animals hurt or killed because you are playing childish games. You seem like a nice person and like you dont stand up for yourself. Throw the balls away so they lose their weapons and be assertive. Maybe say what you wrote. I have never had problems with you. My animals are not bothering anyone and it is stressing them and me out. See it is nice how the truth works.

 

[Eliaria]

Ah, yes... The kid issues. We uses to have kids who would throw their balls at the neighbor's dog (not ours). Sometimes they would miss and the balls would end up in our yard. We'd make sure the punks were watching and knife the balls right then and there, making them unplayable. Course, we were kids too, so there wasn't much anything could do. Don't just throw the balls out because its not hard to dig through the trash.