Help me decide what to do...story & questions

[redhen]

Calm down people..

 

[tammyd57]

To steal or not to steal?
Pretty interesting question, but I think the answers people are giving are even more interesting. Kinda gives you an insight on who has which kind of ethics.
A lot of rationalization going on for reasons TO steal, but really only one reason NOT to steal. Because it's wrong, whether you follow the Commandments, the Creed, Karma or any other belief.
I think that not one person who has posted a 'good' reason to keep the chicken would think it was such a great idea if it were THEIR chicken.
Something to think about.

 

[ellieroo]

chickensducks&agoose :

it's an easy answer, not nearly as hard as people seem to think. Do the Right Thing. that way there's no guilt later, and no way to get in trouble. tell the neighbors you found a chicken that had been attacked by a coyote, and assuming it was yours, you brought it home. now you realize it isn't yours, and if it IS theirs, would they mind if you used this as an opportunity to try to nurse it back to health? just stealing it is wrong, but also ignoring what you want is wrong too. i bet they'd be glad to have it treated.

Xs2

 

[Bizzybirdy]

Sorry...call me what you will but I say the chicken has suffered enough and deserves another chance at a decent life. I used to do rescue and am disgusted at the way some people don't care for their animals. Just had a guy call me about an ad I placed for some young hens and roosters and he actually told me he wanted to use them for coyote bait!

Needless to say he didn't get mine!

Keep the chicken...you saved it from certain death and the time and meds you have and will invest in it will probably be more than they paid for the hen or it's actual value. So it is yours. I would be very surprised if the people offered to reimburse you a penny for it.

 

[billfields]

I'm real interested in what the OP has decided to do...

 

[Beekissed]

Sorry...call me what you will but I say the chicken has suffered enough and deserves another chance at a decent life.

Another chance in another free ranged flock? Sounds like it will be going from one decent life to another....but that still doesn't make it right to take the chicken. Anyone's chicken, be it penned, caged or free ranged, can be predator fodder at any given time. Making judgements like this serves no purpose...free ranging for chickens is about the only decent life for them that I can imagine.

I'm wondering what the OP did too. What did she decide?​

 

[lilbirdee]

WOW I never expected such heated responses on this post. It has been quite the debate.
I have taken a lot of your words into consideration. What I have decided to do is keep the hen a bit longer until she is mended better. Then I will take her to the neighbors and ask them what they want to do with her. The reason for nursing her back to health first is my concerns that the neighbor would put her down for lack of recovery space for her and time to spend on her.
If the neighbor suggests that I keep her I will. Otherwise I will give her back knowing that I did what was right for her, my neighbor, and myself.
And just to let you all know. I never intended to keep her without letting her owners know. And what is most interesting to me is that most all of you missed the other question that I had about whether this hen would be accepted into my flock.
Thank you all for your posts.

 

[ZombieChickens]

First of all......some of you need to CHILL OUT! I have seen some really heated topics on BYC and I just don't get it. Everyone needs to stop being so dang snappy with one another!
Anyway, what if it were a dog? Or a cat? Or a house bird (like a parrot or something?) Would you (and by saying "you" I'm talking to everyone, not just the original poster.) return it? Or would you keep it? If it ain't yours, you know what you have to do.

 

[Ibicella]

Yes, if you are allowed to keep her, she can be accepted into your flock.

Keep her quarantined first for about a month.

Then do a slow integration where everyone can see each other but not reach one another. Perhaps in separate pens for about another week or so.

After that, go into the coop at night when they are all asleep, and quietly slip her onto the roost with the rest.

 

[bobbi-j]

Quote:
That's one of the problems with reading instead of hearing a conversation. You can't read tone. I never read into it that people were being snappy - just stating their opinions (and yes, I have read this thread from the beginning). OK, there were some comments that could be construed as maybe being a little snarky, but I didn't think it was that bad. 'Nuff said.