Grrrrrrr....

[Morgan7782]

Alright.. So I have these neighbors that consist of a grandma, and her 15 year old or so grandson. Well today I go out back and see Joon, my 11 week old BR pullet running around the yard with something in her mouth. Something white. So I run over, and discover it's a FRICKEN CIGARETTE BUTT! With Tabacco, AND the FILTER which is like fiberglass I think.. Anyway, I smoke personally and sadly, but since I got my chickens I dump any butts/ashes in our garbage right away. There are NEVER butts for them to find. I also know the kid behind us smokes and tosses the butts over the fence into MY yard. I went over recently and informed him that my backyard is NOT a garbage, and that I have dogs and cats and I don't need them walking on this trash.

So I start running after Joon in a dang panic, trying to catch her, and get the filter out of her mouth WITHOUT hurting her or breaking her neck. She was freaking out too, obviously, and trying to swallow her 'treat' as fast as possible. I finally caught her and yanked the filter and as much tabacco, paper as possible out. I am pretty sure I got most if not all of it. But the cigarette butt was the SAME one the kid behind us smokes!! I need to calm down before I go talk to his grandma, or I may shove a few cigarettes down HIS throat... ::mutters::

This may just be my initative to quit smoking...

(I am 110 percent positive it was not one of my cigarettes, I am VERY vigilant about disposing my own in a topped garbage can.)

Sorry.. I just had to vent.. Any tips on how to talk to the grandma? This has happened twice, and Joon getting a butt is crossing the line. I've talked with the KID, but now I need to do something else. Thanks again..

 

[ibpboo]

Did you explain to the kid that the chicken had a butt?
Do you talk to grandma ever?
Is she the type person that would try and help you with the situation, or take offense and think her grandson would never do such a thing?
Tough situation.

 

[chicknerd]

Quote:
Did you keep the butt to show the grandma and grandson? I would bring it over and show them and explain that the cigarette is toxic to the chickens (maybe you have- that wasn't too clear).

But yes a nice chat is in order. Make sure you are calm though so they are not automatically on the defensive. Ask them what they suggest might be a solution?

Worth a try.

 

[gryeyes]

Oh, maaaan. I am a smoker, but I have never used the world as my ashtray.

I keep a plastic frosting tub - little one, the kind with Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker 1 serving frosting - filled with water in which to put my butts when I'm out in the back yard; I've done that ever since I moved in, which was 2 years before I got chickens. I liked to use the "butt water," highly diluted, as an insecticide on the scraggly roses that were growing here.

Now that the flock is ranging freely in the back yard, I've discovered I cannot leave that butt tub on the table between my Adirondack chair and bench any more. Curious beaks were poking into it, and obviously dumped it. I found a cigarette butt on the walkway (before I noticed the tub was gone, rolled off the table into the grass) and bits of stained paper nearby. Oh CRAP! Luckily, most of the butts were still in a congealed mass inside the tub laying on its side under the edge of the table. You can bet I picked that up right away. Now I have to keep it on the porch, up high on a plant stand. A TALL plant stand.

That was a couple of weeks ago, and nobody has shown any ill effects, thank goodness.

I'd talk to the grandmother, calmly, and explain that chickens are much more curious about such things than dogs or cats, and ingesting a cigarette butt could kill it. Please let her grandson know it's not a matter of "complaining about litter" or picking on him, it's just concern about the health of your chickens.

 

[Morgan7782]

Quote:
The first time it happened I was lucky enough to find the butt on the ground BEFORE my chickens did. I have not talked to the grandma yet, I thought at the kid's age he would appreciate me talking to him 'adult to adult' but appearently I misjudged him.. The grandma and I have chatted through the fence occasionally, she seems friendly but blissfully unaware of her grandsons doings. I know he is underage as well, he has asked me to purchase cigarettes for him and I did speak to the grandma about that. She was not aware he was smoking (how I have NO clue.. Cigarettes stink clothes and such up) and told me she would handle it.

I will talk with her, and I do have the butt in my pocket. I am a nonconfrontational person at heart, but if my animals are in danger all bets are off. I will be polite, but firm. I'll explain that I have YOUNG chickens, and tabacco (and all the other stuff) is very dangerous to full grown hens, think what it would do to a young chicken..

I had hoped my earlier talk had sunk in but I guess not. I am also worried about causing a problem because I have had animals poisoned before and that fear is still with me. I sure with I didn't live in an urban area

I will be doing daily rounds to make sure nothing dangerous is where my chickens can get it. I would hate to lose EITHER of them

Edited to add: I am still a little shaken up from the event, I had such a rush of adrenelan with I saw Joon trying to swallow the entire filter.. Oh man.. I am a smoker as well, but like you, I have made very very important adjustments to how I dispose of butts. I don't think she got but one or two strands of tabacco, but I am going to watch her just to make sure all is alright. My biggest fear was the filter, and she was determind to get it down before I grabbed her. Then pulling it out, I had to hold her head still to grab it, and I know how fragile their necks are so I was thinking "great, I saved her from the butt, however I broke her neck doing it"

Whew. I am going to talk with the grandma, and I will be calm, but definately firm. She seems decent, and hopefully she will see my side of things.

 

[bakerjw]

I had to laugh. I was working in the tractor one day and dropped a screw. One of the girls grabbed it and started trotting around making the "Don't take my treat" peeping sound. I was lucky to get the screw back but it was darn funny how fast she pounced on the shiny thing.

 

[noodleroo]

I'd take the high road and try to make it better instead of having a contest with a 15 yr old. In no way is it your responsibility to do this, but this is what I would do:

Make a homemade cigarette butt receptacle and take it over and give it to the grandmother. Tell her that you made it for her and her grandson and that you want them to have it for their backyard. Tell her how dangerous tobacco is for chickens, what you found in your hen's mouth, and that you really want them to use the 'receptacle' to have a place to properly dispose of butts so they don't 'accidently' get blown over to your yard. It will either work or it won't, but you still get to feel good about yourself for taking the high road.

If it doesn't work you could always report the little juvenile darling to the authorities; 15 yrs old is to young to smoke in the US! LOL

 

[drumstick diva]

I wouldn't expect miracles no matter what you do. The 15 yr. old has you on his 'list' because you wouldn't buy cigarettes for him, you're going to get more than cig butts over the fence. If you mention it could poison the chickens, I'm sure his beedy little eyes will light up. Is there a way you could make a chicken wire fence or partition across the back of your yard = cig butt distance from the true fence. That way the chickens wouldn't get all the way back to where the butts land.