Financial Compensation for lost chickens

[donrae]

I'm in the camp of going for replacement value. If you get twenty five dollars for each hen and use that money to buy a new hen, you're not losing any eggs. I would add in any vet bills or supplies you needed for your injured bird, and repairs to fences/coop. Sorry you're having to go through this. Sounds like a horrible rampage those dogs went on, and I don't feel sorry for them at all for being destroyed. Many, many dogs run lose and don't injure or kill animals. Hope you see some money back.

 

[LALASD4]

Replacement cost. That is the best way or the insurance companies would not use it. Just check the price of those chickens in your area.

 

[twinmom+1VT]

Thank you all so much for the advice and condolences. It's strange because I feel like I'm handling the loss well but at night all I can do is think about my lost birds. I guess this is all part of having chickens. I really like all the chickens in my flock but one of the ones killed was my favorite so that's been the toughest part. The injured one is doing well, eating and drinking (and laying!), but her injuries are so extensive I'm really worried about infection. I'm just doing the best I can for her.

I've been thinking about it and I think it is important to factor in lost egg production. I know you can't foresee the future and who's to say nothing would have killed them the following day, but had those birds not been killed by these dogs they would have gone on to produce many more eggs. My Golden Comet was an amazing layer and she was only 7 months old. I raised my chickens from day-olds and if I start over again, that's another 9 months of lost production (it's really too cold to do chicks here right now in VT - will get new ones in April or May).

I know I won't see any money from the owners but I still want them to understand what we lost due to their negligence. I will value each bird at $40 (I'm not factoring lost egg production - that would up the price another $60-80). My Golden Comet alone would have provided me with roughly 21 dozen eggs in a year.

Unfortunately the second dog still hasn't been found so she's still roaming around. I haven't let my chickens out of their coop and I can tell they're getting really stressed from being inside (pacing like crazy). I might let them out today since it's a nice winter day and I can keep my dogs outside with them (they're very protective and amazing with the chickens).

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

twinmom+1VT :

Thank you all so much for the advice and condolences. It's strange because I feel like I'm handling the loss well but at night all I can do is think about my lost birds. I guess this is all part of having chickens. I really like all the chickens in my flock but one of the ones killed was my favorite so that's been the toughest part. The injured one is doing well, eating and drinking (and laying!), but her injuries are so extensive I'm really worried about infection. I'm just doing the best I can for her.

I've been thinking about it and I think it is important to factor in lost egg production. I know you can't foresee the future and who's to say nothing would have killed them the following day, but had those birds not been killed by these dogs they would have gone on to produce many more eggs. My Golden Comet was an amazing layer and she was only 7 months old. I raised my chickens from day-olds and if I start over again, that's another 9 months of lost production (it's really too cold to do chicks here right now in VT - will get new ones in April or May).

I know I won't see any money from the owners but I still want them to understand what we lost due to their negligence. I will value each bird at $40 (I'm not factoring lost egg production - that would up the price another $60-80). My Golden Comet alone would have provided me with roughly 21 dozen eggs in a year.

Unfortunately the second dog still hasn't been found so she's still roaming around. I haven't let my chickens out of their coop and I can tell they're getting really stressed from being inside (pacing like crazy). I might let them out today since it's a nice winter day and I can keep my dogs outside with them (they're very protective and amazing with the chickens).

You cannot count lost eggs. It is not about whether or not the birds would have laid them or might not have, but you are already calculating in replacement with a hen of the same age, who has as much capacity to lay eggs as did your lost girl. Chances are that the value of lost eggs would not hold up in court if it got to that level. If you really want to include them, then you have to calculate based upon the cost of a chick.​

 

[twinmom+1VT]

Alright, I checked with my ag. extension and I'm going to ask $20/bird. They said that the birds average between $15-$20 and since they were raised organically/free range, they'd be on the higher end of the scale.

 

[spottedtail]

Bravo for your local Ag Extension!
They've given you the best advice so far.
$15 to 20 is about right.

I know people can be very fond of their poultry.
But I've never understood getting out the calculator and trying to add every conceivable expense occured.
And future egg profits too?....Oh come on now!

spot

 

[twinmom+1VT]

Thank you again to everyone who's responded to this thread. I'm really disappointed that I haven't heard anything from the owners of the dogs. I'm thinking of writing them a letter just saying how we were affected by this. I mean, if my dogs had killed someone elses livestock I would at least apologize. I really don't want any money for my birds, just some acknowledgement of the situation.

 

[BlacksheepCardigans]

Before you get mad, realize that they may be asking their homeowner's insurance to pay your bill. In that case, they will be strictly forbidden from talking with you about it. We had a similar situation where a distant neighbor dog came into our yard and was bitten by one of our Great Danes. Our homeowner's insurance covered the vet bill, but we were told that we could not have any contact with the neighbor about the incident. Our insurance agent was the one who handled all the stuff. Months later the owner of the dog came over and yelled at us for not personally apologizing. There was nothing we could do - we could not even apologize for not apologizing. Anything we said could open us to liability beyond what was already assumed. We just had to stand there feeling stupid, when we HAD felt absolutely horrible about the whole thing and in fact had even rehomed the dog because the whole thing had been so unpleasant.

 

[eggboy]

If I was in your situation I probably wouldn't ask for money but I would want an apology and an agreement that they would not let it happen again.

 

[Cosmopolis Chick]

hi all.
I'm going to chime in here with the near certainty of not making a whole lotta sense. Sigh. Oh, well.

Due to being out of work (I guess I 'joined a club' without even applying!) I rented out the biggest bedroom in my house. My tenant was here for 18 months. AFTER she left I discovered damage to the room-size rug in her room. Now... I hadn't charged her any damage or cleaning deposit, my bad. Besides she was already gone.

I was reading the room for re-renting and found a melted area on the rug precisely in the shape of an iron. A HOT iron. It was not discolored, just deeply melted. I hadn't noticed it for over a week after she left but, once you know it's there, it cannot escape your notice.

So. I sent a polite notice to her new address requesting reimbursement, specifying exactly how much it'd cost ($134.00), and reminding her I'd only bought it the week befor she'd moved in. No response.

6 weeks later I printed out the sales receipt from the rug purchase, the first notice, and a politely worded second notice. I sent identical sets to both home and work addresses, CERTIFIED. At the end I said "I know you are very busy but please don't make me send a third notice." She came to my house the day after she received the letter and paid me. (she had her Mad Face on but I don't care)

I kept at it, although my inclination was to just live with it and chalk it up to experience, because I KNEW she had KNOWN she damaged the rug. I don't think she could pick up a hot iron off of a rug and ever iron with it again - without a major cleaning. She must have known and she decided in my behalf that it was no big deal. Well, it was a big deal to me. I rented her the best bedroom in my house, treated her like family, and that rug was one of the very, very few NEW things I have ever bought. It was nice. It was mine. Now - it's not so nice.

I did not say so in my notices, I wanted to keep it all 'low key', but my next step was to file in small claims court - and I would have rolled the rug up and taken it and the sales receipt in.

So, back to the chickens. Decide on what you have to have to repair some of the damage and get on with it all. You said you don't think they'll pay? Maybe not. Maybe yes. But bill them, there is nothing wrong with that. You've gotten lots of good advice, I know it made me stop and think about my girls. Money can't replace them but they clearly have a value.
hugs, Donna