Dogs and chickens?

[BoxerBaby]

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[Renee]

Hi there,

It's nice to see your concern for animals.
It seems like you have three concerns here, but please correct me if I am mistaken.

First, you worry about diseases/parasites that may infect your dogs.

Second, you worry about the chickens being properly cared for.

Third, you worry about rats and the ugly blue tarp you see from your yard.

I can assure you that your dogs will not catch any diseases or parasites from your neighbor's chickens. For instance, bird lice don't do dogs or people.

Chickens do not require a whole heck of a lot of daily care. If they have a constant supply of food and clean water and a shelter they should do fine. If you believe the shelter is not adequate you may want to post a photo of it here and ask that question specifically.

Chickens do not attract rats. Open bags of chicken feed may attract rats, but a maintained chicken feeder in a coop is not a serious problem. If it does attract rats, you already have a rat problem.

The ugly blue tarp is an entirely different question. I would be very upset about the tarp, and I would ask the neighbor to replace it with something less hideous. When my neighbor had an ugly blue tarp on his coop (which shredded in the wind and left my garden festooned with blue plastic icicles) I offered to help him replace the roof of the coop with new plywood and roofing material. It took a year, but he got it covered this year before the rains. Sometimes it is cheaper, easier, and more effective to offer help than to complain. Maybe you will get some fresh eggs in return!

 

[Hobbley_Farm]

Quote:
Well said, Renee.

 

[BoxerBaby]

Thank you

 

[iajewel]

Sounds to me like you would like someone here to tell you a way to help you get rid of your neighbors chickens. You can research the laws by state on this forum telling you what legal rights your neighbor has.. I think you will find he has as much right to his birds as you do your dogs. He probably is equally concerned about your dogs as you are his birds.

It maybe time to invite him over for supper, make freinds and work togather.
Like we do here in the country where animals do have to live togather, just as the people do. I know people in the city don't do that much. Maybe its time?

 

[BoxerBaby]

Thank you.

 

[Beekissed]

You seem to be taking your dismay over the blue tarp and dressing it up as concern for his chickens. As you clearly cannot visualize the whole structure unless you climb on a ladder, the basis for your concern is unclear and may be unwarranted....unless its to eliminate the blue tarp from your line of sight.

Maybe planting a lovely flowering tree in this spot where it will eventually cover that portion of your view would be a more nice way of dealing with this.

If the man has every right to have chickens and this structure on his property, according to the laws in your area, then there is nothing legally you can do about this. I agree with Renee on this one. Maybe this man doesn't even know that his blue tarp is in your view line and the considerate thing to do would be inform him of it before looking for ways to report him for "chicken neglect." If you plan on living next to this person for an extended amount of time, wouldn't it be better to have a good relationship with him. Remember this, once you start the ball rolling on reporting neighbors for this or that, make sure your own back porch is swept....this has a way of coming back to you.

 

[ChooksChick]

Boxer, I'm concerned about the birds already, because you stated you're in Michigan and the weather there is already horrible!

The birds MUST have a wind-free area to go that is also secure from any prowling raccoons, or skunks, or other predators, or they won't last long. Breezy weather alone is enough to make them sick, much less the weather you'll be experiencing all winter. No ugly blue tarp will keep those chickens alive. It's got to be the strength and shelter of a garden shed, at least.

Please take a good look when no one is home, because I'm afraid the birds are being set up for a deadly winter without shelter. Post pics or a good description and we'll help you out.

You're a good person to be researching this on behalf of the birds and your rescue dogs- good job!

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Maybe you should try minding your own business? You sound like someone I wouldn't want for a neighbor.

Your dogs are more of a threat to the chickens than vice versa. I have neighbors who are gone before day break, home after dark, and we have had issues with their dogs getting loose and coming to my chicken coops...and I'm in the country. I sent their dogs to the pound.

You said you see a blue tarp covering something he built himself, but you don't say that it's the coop. Is that what you are referring to? The tarp is on the coop? Maybe that tarp is over something else?
A lot of us build our coops ourselves. Surely you don't think someone has to buy a special house for chickens?

Nothing wrong with dogs living outside either as long as they are given proper shelter and soft bedding so they can get out of the elements and be warm.

I also do not suggest taking pics and posting them of your neighbors place on the internet. I could see all kinds of lawsuits issuing out of that, especially if he is 100% in the right.


ETA: If he put plywood up BEFORE he put the tarp on, then he might have done that to keep the plywood dry until he can get some shingles or roofing to put on it. I doubt it is out of sight out of mind if he has to feed the chickens everyday.

Also, you might want to check local legislations. Where I live, putting your nose into your neighbors business and trying to prevent them from enjoying their own property by telling them what they can and can't have warrants charges for invasion of privacy from the county prosecutor.

 

[Reinbeau]

Oh, please, let's not encourage neighborhood spying. The best thing is to go next door, introduce yourself, and initiate a conversation about the chickens. Show interest. Be friendly. Maybe you'll learn something!

The wind was howling like mad today, and it was in the low 40's - it was pretty cold out there! Didn't bother the girls at all, they ran around like nitwits for hours on end out there. Winter isn't going to kill chickens, and we have no reason to believe they don't have shelter. It may not be pretty shelter, but it sounds as though the tarp is to seal the roof - maybe when you're visiting you will find out that he's going to fix the roof in the spring, when he has the money? You'll never know until you talk to him, face to face - not sneaking around behind his back.