Over the fence chicken custodian

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I've thought about that, actually. But they'd come straight to me, I'm sure. The animal control said he couldn't keep going over there because they would say he was harassing them. So I have to pick my battles carefully and make sure I'm not hobbled from stepping in when it's needed. It's a fine line between being a concerned neighbor and appearing as though I'm harassing them. I also am trying to repair any 'ruffled feathers' so they'll stay open to my unrequested help.
 
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The animal control said he couldn't keep going over there because they would say he was harassing them. So I have to pick my battles carefully and make sure I'm not hobbled from stepping in when it's needed. It's a fine line between being a concerned neighbor and appearing as though I'm harassing them. I also am trying to repair any 'ruffled feathers' so they'll stay open to my unrequested help.
 
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I am glad you joined us!
 
I thought the same thing, but since the coop has been put in I see eggs that apparently someone is removing from the coop and tossing into the old battery cage they were in which they keep leaning on the side of the house. Odd. Seems they'd eat the eggs, but then I saw the same eggs cracked and empty. They have an elder care facility with about 4 clients, and they have caregivers who stay there overnight who feed and water the birds. A couple weeks ago I went out about midnight because I heard the birds talking. There was a caregiver feeding them. At midnight? She said they get fed every night at that time. Is that the stupidest thing? Is it bad for chickens to be disturbed hours after sunset to feed them? It just seems that they have no interest in caring for the animals in the way the animals need to be cared for according to their species' needs. They do only what is the least inconvenient. The question remains, "Why do they insist on keeping them?"
 
That's really sad to hear
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You can never fully know someone else's situation. I realize you've offered to take the birds, but may even offer to pay for them? May even offer to gift them a portion of the eggs? No, they don't deserve such benefits, but it may sweeten the deal and encourage them to actually take you up on your kindhearted offer. Much luck, and thank you for looking out for them!
 
Hope I'm using the reply/post threads correctly...Seems this one might be better on a different forum than the welcome new members forum.

Two days ago I had to add water to the chicken's water bowl from over the fence as it was empty at midday. Yesterday, I called the house and spoke to I'm guessing one of the facility caregivers. (These people run an elder care home and usually it is the caregivers who are in charge of chicken care. ) I told her it looks like they forgot to let out the chickens. She was busy and said she'd tell the owners, who she said weren't home. She said she would try to deal with the chickens if she had time but she was busy with clients.
A little while later I checked on the birds and saw the handyman over there spreading the crushed granite that was laid over the chicken's coop area. He said the owner doesn't plan to add dirt over the rock. So the chickens' ability to take dust baths and peck and scratch is 0, never mind walk with any ease. When I spoke to him it was 2pm and the chickens were still locked inside their coop house, talking and seemingly wanting to get out. I guess this isn't necessarily bad if the coop is large and clean and they never expect to get outside... (I wouldn't keep them inside...) But these chickens do go out, intermittently. So after some time of talking to my new friend Jose I convinced him to open the cage door and put them on the ground. They won't walk down the plank as it is very narrow. Much more so than even the width of their legs so they don't like to use it. And the one with the amputated middle toe definitely can't get down. And they wouldn't jump and flap to the ground. When Jose opened the door, I saw they had no food or water in the coop house. Not such a big deal foodwise except it was 2 in the afternoon. When they got out they ran to the water bowl I had filled the day before and drank and drank. Their food bowl was also empty of feed except the hulls of the day before's food. I went inside and chopped up fresh kale and added sunflower seeds and poured it over the fence into their bowl (mostly...) and they pecked at that hungrily. They were put inside the coop hours before the sun set. Only had a couple hours outside. Last night a giant bright light (bulb is probably 6 inches across and maybe 2 feet above the floor of the coop, that apparently has replaced the red one they used all winter was again on all night. The night before there was no light. The night before that there was a light. Now today I checked on them, 9:30 am. Their door was open and they were inside looking out the door. Light on, btw. I just checked on them again and they haven't jumped out of the coop. The one I saw had her eye half closed and the other 2 were quiet in there. Maybe they're trying to sleep? They have severely inconsistent care. Fed all times of the day and night, or not fed at all, all day. Sometimes get outside, sometimes not. Lights on, lights off....

I've been trying to figure out how to help these girls in a way that won't result in a restraining order being put on me. So I thought maybe ask others in the neighborhood who have chickens if they can help. Get the hen community involved. I knocked on the door of another neighbor who also has chickens a couple doors down from me and my nemesis neighbors. He said he'd talk to our mutual neighbor who lives just next door to the people I'm trying to work with. Apparently she has known them for years and is also an animal-cause person. So maybe some peer pressure and additional eyes will do some good.

Any information about chicken care that will alleviate my concerns is greatly appreciated. I've looked online and see conflicting information regarding feeding, night lights, etc. Seems the owner's philosophy and purpose for keeping chickens plays a big part in what people decide is proper and humane care.
 
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Hello, and welcome to Backyard Chickens! There is an unbelievable source of great knowledge on here and wonderful, friendly folks! I do hope you'll make yourself at home here and enjoy it as much as I have! :frow

~Cuz
 
georgechicken said:
Hope I'm using the reply/post threads correctly...Seems this one might be better on a different forum than the welcome new members forum.

Two days ago I had to add water to the chicken's water bowl from over the fence as it was empty at midday. Yesterday, I called the house and spoke to I'm guessing one of the facility caregivers. (These people run an elder care home and usually it is the caregivers who are in charge of chicken care. ) I told her it looks like they forgot to let out the chickens. She was busy and said she'd tell the owners, who she said weren't home. She said she would try to deal with the chickens if she had time but she was busy with clients.
A little while later I checked on the birds and saw the handyman over there spreading the crushed granite that was laid over the chicken's coop area. He said the owner doesn't plan to add dirt over the rock. So the chickens' ability to take dust baths and peck and scratch is 0, never mind walk with any ease. When I spoke to him it was 2pm and the chickens were still locked inside their coop house, talking and seemingly wanting to get out. I guess this isn't necessarily bad if the coop is large and clean and they never expect to get outside... (I wouldn't keep them inside...) But these chickens do go out, intermittently. So after some time of talking to my new friend Jose I convinced him to open the cage door and put them on the ground. They won't walk down the plank as it is very narrow. Much more so than even the width of their legs so they don't like to use it. And the one with the amputated middle toe definitely can't get down. And they wouldn't jump and flap to the ground. When Jose opened the door, I saw they had no food or water in the coop house. Not such a big deal foodwise except it was 2 in the afternoon. When they got out they ran to the water bowl I had filled the day before and drank and drank. Their food bowl was also empty of feed except the hulls of the day before's food. I went inside and chopped up fresh kale and added sunflower seeds and poured it over the fence into their bowl (mostly...) and they pecked at that hungrily. They were put inside the coop hours before the sun set. Only had a couple hours outside. Last night a giant bright light (bulb is probably 6 inches across and maybe 2 feet above the floor of the coop, that apparently has replaced the red one they used all winter was again on all night. The night before there was no light. The night before that there was a light. Now today I checked on them, 9:30 am. Their door was open and they were inside looking out the door. Light on, btw. I just checked on them again and they haven't jumped out of the coop. The one I saw had her eye half closed and the other 2 were quiet in there. Maybe they're trying to sleep? They have severely inconsistent care. Fed all times of the day and night, or not fed at all, all day. Sometimes get outside, sometimes not. Lights on, lights off....

I've been trying to figure out how to help these girls in a way that won't result in a restraining order being put on me. So I thought maybe ask others in the neighborhood who have chickens if they can help. Get the hen community involved. I knocked on the door of another neighbor who also has chickens a couple doors down from me and my nemesis neighbors. He said he'd talk to our mutual neighbor who lives just next door to the people I'm trying to work with. Apparently she has known them for years and is also an animal-cause person. So maybe some peer pressure and additional eyes will do some good.

Any information about chicken care that will alleviate my concerns is greatly appreciated. I've looked online and see conflicting information regarding feeding, night lights, etc. Seems the owner's philosophy and purpose for keeping chickens plays a big part in what people decide is proper and humane care.
Click to expand...

Reading this saddens me so much
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Those poor chickens
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Sorry, anything I say is not going to alleviate your concerns and probably just increase them!

Stuck in a coop all day when they do not need to be .. Wrong!
No water .. Wrong!
No food .. Wrong!
No way of getting down from the coop without a hard landing or possibly hurting themselves .. Wrong!
Only rocks to walk on .. Wrong!
No routine .. Wrong!
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The only right things I read were the handyman letting them out and your concern for them, giving them water and feeding them.

Just a thought, but could you start documenting all of this on film and present that to the authorities?
 

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