It is illegal to allow your pets /livestock to trespass onto a neighbors property without their permission, at least where i am.
If you are not being a responsible owner and allow them to do so you are putting yourself and the animal at risk of getting into serious trouble!
Pets yes, livestock... it varies. From what I’ve heard on here it varies state to state and county to county even sometimes. Most major cities have leash laws, ordinances against livestock within city limits and such.
I live in a a city that actively promotes backyard chickens. Not sure of everyone's experience, but it is common to see chickens in the ghetto/low income urban areas. At least, the last three cities I lived in were like that. I actually got the idea of owning chickens when I saw two different people in two different areas in my city post pictures on facebook of chickens crossing their neighborhood street.
Most of our low income areas or areas with a high homeless population are chicken free, but do have feral dog populations. The people living in them would probably be better off if they had chickens instead! Here in most urban and suburban areas livestock animals are frowned upon. It’s great that Austin is so progressive in this area (another good point in the I want to move South argument I have with my husband every now and then!), as I know many people have trouble obtaining the permissions for backyard flocks.
I have spoken to every neighbor that they have ventured to, everyone loves them and does not want them to stop visiting them. My neighbors do not have front yard gardens that the chickens can get to. this. There are articles out there that have a different opinion than what is status quo on this forum, and that is what I am basing some of my decisions on.
I'm in the process of building a new coop.
I do not believe their improvement in health has anything to do with my coop. I think it has everything to do with no longer relying 99% on eating artificially fortified ("organic") chicken feed and no longer confined to a yard that no longer has grass to eat.
If you’ve got such a good relationship with your neighbors then maybe what you’re doing is ok, in your particular instance and location, but I still don’t think that it’s a good general husbandry practice for most urban/suburban areas. I had that kind of relationship with 90% of my city neighbors as well, it’s fast becoming a rare thing nowadays!
I’m glad you’re building a new/improved coop for them, and I do think extra night protection is a good idea, even if you’re free ranging. Maybe consider completely changing the location of it in your yard to help entice them into a safer roosting area with no negative associations from the coop they don’t like? “Hey! Ruby... look at this nice clean and dry coop over here, so much better than the last one we were in, let’s sleep in here so those possums stop waking us up in the middle of the night.” Idea
Yes, I also think decent forage and free ranging is probably better than just formulated feeds alone. Whatever works for you, your chickens and your neighbors! If you’ve sorted it out and spoken with everyone then you’re on a good track. Remember to be very open to their feedback and concerns so you don’t end up in a hostile situation!
