Chickens in the road..

[cafarmgirl]

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The only problem with the idea that "if you live in the country you should be able to feel like your living in the country" is that all those city folk who buy the ranchette down the road tend to apply that very same logic to letting their dogs run loose and then us chicken owners all get in an uproar over it.

I guess that's why I feel so strongly about keeping my critters fenced in. I have a lot of problem neighbor dogs running loose around me (heck who doesn't in the country) and as long as I'm doing my part in keeping all of my own animals fenced no one can point a finger at me when I complain about their animals!

I do agree that a person driving down a low traffic, unpaved, country road should expect to see any number of critters on the road and drivers should have some common sense but unfortunately common sense has gone out the window just the same as country living has in many places. Farms are smaller and neighbor's are closer and many of them are city transplants with no knowledge of animals nor of how to be a good neighbor.

 

[NYRIR]

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Nope...not playing in the road...crossing it to get to the woods on the other side...I've never seen a cat just playing in the road myself....usually they are crossing...for a reason...sometimes I've seen some that will lay in the road..That would take training from the owner to teach it not to sleep there.But I still feel regardless....the country back roads are full of animals (wild and domestic) and kids (also some wild and some domestic

) which is why people driving should slow down.
And why is it that people from the city slow down and smile at the wild geese and goslings crossing the road....and people from the country are getting aggravated at a mere chicken crossing?

 

[NYRIR]

Quote:
The only problem with the idea that "if you live in the country you should be able to feel like your living in the country" is that all those city folk who buy the ranchette down the road tend to apply that very same logic to letting their dogs run loose and then us chicken owners all get in an uproar over it.

I guess that's why I feel so strongly about keeping my critters fenced in. I have a lot of problem neighbor dogs running loose around me (heck who doesn't in the country) and as long as I'm doing my part in keeping all of my own animals fenced no one can point a finger at me when I complain about their animals!

I do agree that a person driving down a low traffic, unpaved, country road should expect to see any number of critters on the road and drivers should have some common sense but unfortunately common sense has gone out the window just the same as country living has in many places. Farms are smaller and neighbor's are closer and many of them are city transplants with no knowledge of animals nor of how to be a good neighbor.

Yep,I personally fenced my yard for that reason...other peoples dogs.But I still feel it's your choice to fence or not.If I had no fence? I wouldn't very well be able to blame the neighbors dogs now would I? I think the key here is...if you own chickens,realize the dangers and make your choices from there.I do,however,feel that if you have fencing and have done what you can and someones pet gets in and wreaks havoc....then it's an issue to be discussed with the owner of said pet.

 

[Flawedatdesign]

Well last time I had chickens I let them free range lol. I loved it one neighbor didn't care has it helped keep the bugs down. The other neighbor and my property was fenced had an issue because the birds would go over and eat the bird seed off the ground from his feeder.

Some people just aren't happy and need something to complain about. If they get in the road expect to lose a few. If your okay with it then your golden.

Now my question is live with the bigger livestock you are responsible as the owner for damage to a persons vehicle in case of an accident due to an escape. I'm guessing with poultry it would be the same.

Makes me glad I live on a dead end gravel road this time around but the flock is going to be in a fenced area also this time

 

[photogeek]

I'm new to all this and read the board to get better ideas on what i should or shouldn't do with my own flock. Some have made some very valid points and have me thinking about my own birds. Oregon Blues really got me to thinking about the teens who drive on this road. Here lately there have been two local deaths due to auto accidents and then at least two on my road who have ran off the road and could have been seriously injured. After seeing their vehicles, i really don't know how they were able to come out of it without too much injury.
My thoughts had always been to put my chickens them back in the run/pen in the evenings. I had actually thought I might let them free range during the day when I'm at work but now considering just keeping it to when I'm home to watch them. This is how I've been doing it (they aren't but about 8 weeks old) so I now believe i will continue to do this.

I also really liked the idea about the hedge near the road. I may do that as well as being it's spring now, I've been itching to plant something and this might be it. I don't currently have a dog, but know that there are dogs other than my mom's which travel thru my yard at night. I am often left "presents" in my yard. And we have already killed two opossums that were eating the cats food. (and before someone flames me for that one... you ever seen one of those nasty critters up close?? they have some gnarly @@@ teeth!! and they could carry diseases, and I think they are the reason my can has a scar on his head still) I also see foxes run across the road at times and so I know there are predators which would love to have an easy meal.
so my reasons for keeping my chickens in my own yard are:

1. young drivers (or elderly). It would break my heart to know they ran off the road or wrecked avoiding one of my birds. they get distracted enough as it is.

2. way too many possible predators around my home/woods for me to be feeding the birds I have been feeding and caring for. I have spent way too much money and time to be feeding the wild life as well.

3. I live in the country. But I often have other dogs which find their way to my house. I know how i feel about the people who allow their animals to go around and not know where they are. don't get me wrong, I love dogs and would have one if I didn't travel a lot. and they seem to know I will feed them if they show up here. Maybe there is an "X" on my barn door or something LOL . come to think of it, I have two cats now as a female stray showed up 2 weeks ago and she's homesteaded much to the horror of my own cat.

ok, that's my 2 cents. I do like the chicken crossing sign idea though

 

[bufforp89]

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Because some people are rude, inconsiderate and irresponsible?

Talk about rude much? All I did was ask for stories of others getting notes and the like from neighbors or other people who dont appreciate freeranging chickens occasionally crossing the road...

I would certinly hope that anyone going down my road would be going a speed reasonable enough to break for small animals considering there are multiple children (guess I better fence them in too? Sorry Ashton, no more bike riding) and a childrens home right down the street not to mention the dogs, deer, rabbits and other wildlife.

I have been driving backroads my whole life and have yet to break for something and go sliding into the ditch or damage my car in any other way. I understand the dangers of driving on a backroad and go slow and am cautious of anything that may cross the road just like others should be.

You dont see me driving into the suburbs and demanding that all the children, dogs, cats ect. that are in the roads be fenced in because its all about presonal choice.

Im just going to go ahead put up my signs and take my chances, obviously it would be horrible if someone got into an accident due to my chickens but anyone who drives on dirt backroads way in the middle of no where should be considerate of their speed due to all the wildlife and constant bad road conditions...IMO if you are going over 20mph or so on my road, you are asking for trouble anyways.

What ever happened to people slowing down and enjoying the scenery?


*Off to have a chat with my four freeranging cats about playing in the road...wonder how they all made it to over 5 years old without dying?

 

[Wifezilla]

You got mad because someone complained about your chickens being in the road. You don't own the road. You are responsible for keeping your animals contained whether you live in the boonies or not. I am from the boonies and lived on a dirt road. And yes, I have Slid on gravel trying not to hit the neighbors "free range" dog. And yes I was going less than 20mph. It is irresponsible and puts other people at risk if you let your animals roam. The fact that you don't agree isn't going to matter one bit if you get sued by someone who gets hurt trying to avoid hitting your birds.

As for kids playing in the road, I would hope they would be smart enough to move out of the way of a car. But there is a big difference between an 8 year old riding bikes in the street and a 2 year old running back and forth unsupervised. Letting your chickens go back and forth across the road is more like the toddler example.

I care for my animals far too much to risk them being hit by a car. What you do is up to you. Just don't act surprised when people like your neighbors and me don't agree. Where I your neighbor, I wouldn't have left a note, I would just have called animal control.

 

[sourland]

Still at it I see. Imp, where is that beating a dead horse smiley?

 

[Buff Hooligans]

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Well, I'd hate to end crashed into a tree because I swerved to avoid killing a chicken...

But you're right, if you live in a rural area, you should be able to free range your chickens.

 

[NYRIR]

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I respect what you are saying but I feel that QUALITY OF LIFE is more important to me personally.My cats are 10 and 8 years old,have been outside/inside cats since 8 weeks old.They are still alive

AND I have NO MICE in my garage as well as NO MICE in my house ...double bonus

Country living=animals in the road.