Had a nice visitor this morning,..not

[hearthnsoul]

So a guy shows up this morning, I was just heading into the shower and I hear my 16 year old talking to someone,..I hear chickens,..freerange and dog officer. Grabbed my bathrobe and headed to the door. GUy says 3 roosters and a chicken got into his garden and ate 100's of dollars worth of produce. Yikes..guess what i have three roosters!! So I asked him pertinent question,..what did they look like. He says reddish,..all like rHode island reds,..whoooh, I in relief tell him no can't be mine I have two silkie roosters one black one white and an auracana, could have fit a bit the description the auracana and yes he and the white rooster are boosom buddied but the black rooster has nothing to do with those two. Anyhow,..I say my chickens are in the garden shop next door all the time and they know if there is an issue to shoo them back and I will lock em down. He says they must not have tomatos,..I say again,..you are not describing my roosters and further yet walk around the corner I have three raised beds of tomatos that my chickens dont touch. If he said just chickens and they ate lettuce I would have been horrified,..but this was clearly not my issue,..and besides it was too early and my flock was still penned up.
After he left I called around and found out there is possibly some ferral roosters in the area,.LOL,..someone must have hatched a lot out didn't want the roos and dropped them off...people are such jerks. Anyhow after the guy left,..my son told me he threatened to shoot the chickens!!! WHAT???!!! What a jerk! Needless to say my flock is on lock down for the day, the whole thing made me unneasy, I have had my chickens for 4 years, I only let them freerange the yard and yes they do poke around next door but right fromt he beginning we talked with the garden guys and they said not to worry they do not bother them,..in fact they like them. So until it is a problem, things are as they are. If they are ever bothersome i would fence in all the land around, but so far it has never been an issue. My husband says the place the guy is using to garden is 4 acres over, no way our chickens would go through the woods that far to even get down there,..but the guy has me spooked just the same, he appeared to me and my son to have a drinking issue, if you know what i mean, dangerous combination.

 

[debbie turkey lady]

Sorry to hear about the kook neighbor! I would keep my flock close, it sounds to me he is on the look-out for someone to blame! Can't really blame him for being mad though, I know how he
feels, had 11 turkeys killed 2 weeks ago by some dogs. Still on the lookout, and yes, I am out thousands of dollars, ($200 + a bird) plus damages. So, I know the feeling of
scouring the neighborhood looking for the culprits. But, he sounds like a kook i.e. and alcoholic, so keep safe!

Also, if I were you, I would fix my yard so my flock cannot get out. That way, in case there is another problem, you cannot be blamed!
Good luck!
Debbie turkey lady

 

[Baymule]

Nothing like a drunk dingbat with an agenda against chickens. I guess every neighborhood has one.... Watch your chickens.

 

[Momagain1]

very odd! Be careful!

 

[redhen]

Wow! Where on the Cape would they have feral chickens??
being there many times, i cant picture it...

 

[cassie]

Reminds me of the time someone came to complain that my horses were in his garden. I went with him to check. Sure enough there were horses in his garden all right. Trouble is, those horses were the size of large ponies. I had Percheron draft horses that were 6 feet at the withers and weighed over a ton. I did help him catch them but I left him on his own after that. I didn't know who owned them. I was just glad I didn't.

 

[Peaches Lee]

I've had a neighbor accuse my cat (the common grey and white color) of coming all the way up to his house and starting fights. Completely untrue as my cat is old and doesn't roam away from our backyard even. I just plain and simply told him a firm "No, that is not my cat fighting with yours"!

My chickens don't bother my garden either, the most they do is a little peck for a sample taste. Mostly they scratch around the plants to get the worms and grubs. Actually they are turning the soil and it looks nice.

 

[punky rooster]

Quote:
I agree.. You've got to be careful now.

 

[dainerra]

keep your chickens in your yard and it won't be an issue. My neighbors and I have an understanding - if their critters are in my yard, they are going to get shot if they are making problems. The neighbors are free to shoot, catch, rehome, eat, whatever they want with any of my critters who roam into their property on a continuous basis.

Honestly, your neighbor would probably be within his rights to shoot the chickens who are in his garden. It depends on the local laws in your area.

 

[N&MSchroeder]

People can be really strange. A few years ago, we received a threatening note attached to our front door. It stated that this individual's cow had gotten out and was now in with our herd. He was going to call the sheriff if we didn't give it back. Well we raise registered Herefords and know each and every one of them. I think we would notice a different cow, and most probably, a mixed breed cow. I called the number on the note, told him to get the sheriff as well as the brand inspector, and come point out his cow. Never heard back.