Hearing a Neighbors Flock Being Attacked

[centrarchid]

Early this morning while feeding my birds I noticed my dog run off barking back towards house then come back and forth between me and driveway. Once I got to end of drive away from my birds I could hear another bunch of chickens about 1/4 mile to the east by northeast. Warning cackles of hens and rooster could be heard. I could also hear a chicken squalling as being attacked. My dog was thoroughly stressed out wanting to run in that direction but also wanting to run back to my pens. He seemed confused. Nieghbors birds were making all sorts of noise for a good 30 minutes and I think more than one bird was actually attacked based on sounds. I was not aware of this neighbor having chickens. This is not the first time I witnessed a neighbors flock being attacked. Previous time with closer neighbor we intervened to get predator (raccoon). The frustrating part is not being able to help out. Neighbor belongs to group I have yet to meet. They also failed to respond within the 30 minutes attack took place.

 

[N F C]

Guess that's a heads-up to you that a predator is close by and to be extra vigilant. Maybe this could be the time to meet those neighbors and explain you have chickens too. It might be helpful if they knew what attacked their birds.

 

[Percheron chick]

It's the perfect time to go meet the neighbors. If it went on for 30 minutes, they were probably already off to work or dead to the world and would of appreciated intervention. I'd stop in and see what happened so you are better prepared if it moves over to your place.

 

[bigmrg74]

It's the perfect time to go meet the neighbors. If it went on for 30 minutes, they were probably already off to work or dead to the world and would of appreciated intervention. I'd stop in and see what happened so you are better prepared if it moves over to your place.

Yep, something within a mile of you is more than close enough to target your birds. If it was something like a Raccoon, you're going want to eliminate it post haste. The enemy of my enemy is your friend, and if a few of your neighbors are working on removing raccoons, then that will mean that your girls are just that much more safer.

 

[centrarchid]

Predators are known and very effectively controlled with respect to my flock. The measures I employ are not effective much beyond my property boundaries. I will try to meet the neighbors and give them an account of what I heard.

 

[minnehaha]

I fear your neighbors might be angry with you for not intervening even though it is not your responsibility. But I can't help but hear them complaining that you heard their babies being attacked for a full 30 min and did nothing. If it were me, I would think twice before going over there and telling them, you don't know what kind of people they are, you could risk a starting an ugly feud with them...

 

[centrarchid]

I fear your neighbors might be angry with you for not intervening even though it is not your responsibility.  But I can't help but hear them complaining that you heard their babies being attacked for a full 30 min and did nothing.  If it were me, I would think twice before going over there and telling them, you don't know what kind of people they are, you could risk a starting an ugly feud with them...

I have encountered such people. They are few and far between and would have already established a reputation for being stupid with other neighbors.

These people are not such. They have a poultry barn well away from road within a fenced / gated barnyard. They appear to have a covered run attached to barn. Critter somehow got in to all that. Until I am known to them my interventions would be restricted to life or death issues for a human or dog. For curiosity sake I will get to know them. We have a high density of poultry keepers in the area and most are new to it as far as I know. Many are well setup for getting cleaned out by predators fairly regularly. Others are really well invested. All this in range of my ears. Party in question needed only to fix a gap in fencing I suspect or close door.

 

[Henna56]

how disturbing!the vulnerability of these dear birds to predators is really the worst aspect of having chickens. I SO wish I could let mine free range but impossible where I live

 

[centrarchid]

how disturbing!the vulnerability of these dear birds to predators is really the worst aspect of having chickens. I SO wish I could let mine free range but impossible where I live

It is likely not impossible. I free-range extensively. You just must invest in predator management and be ready to absorb some losses which can be light. Generally, speaking predator management cost more than other aspects of keeping smaller flocks but when you get up into larger flocks the predator management becomes more practical owing to economy of scale.

 

[Henna56]

i have no wish to "absorb some losses"!