How do I calculate costs of hens and potential eggs from dead chickens

[coachhaze]

I am trying to find out the "formula' i need to calculate the coat of hens and potential eggs. I live in NC and have had a neighbor's dog come over onto my property and kill several hens and roos. I need help in calculating the costs to take dog's owner to take responsibility for his dog's actions. Is there a "formula" I can use to accurately calculate this information??

Thanks for your help
coachhaze60 in NC

 

[Mahonri]

How old were the hens?

What varieties did you have?

Had they already begun laying?

Most good layers will give you 4-5 eggs a week for 48 weeks in the year if you have light in the coop (if they have a couple of molts)

If they lay for two years (they decline in egg laying after that)

Then they'll lay 432 eggs... that's 36 dozen X $2.10 = about $76 worth of eggs per hen for the two years.

But the intangible value that you receive from caring for them, using their poop for fertilizer is invaluable.

 

[SpottedCrow]

I'm so sorry for your losses.
Danged dogs.

 

[greyhorsewoman]

I'm not sure 'potential' has a bearing on 'actual' value. Those hens might never have laid an egg. If you sold those hens on the day they died, what would they have been worth? Replacement cost is what matters.

You might see if you can get a professional opinion as to how to determine damages in these situations.

 

[okiemommy]

There are several people on here that have had this very experience, and they were told to calculate potential loss value due to the fact that they are livestock and are animals specifically utilized for production. Some were even told this by their local authorities governing these particular situations. Laws are different everywhere, though, and in some places there isn't a precendence for this type of situation, and what to do about assigning value to the birds is up for interpretation. Some of the people in this situation have also included the cost of feed, bedding, vet bills (if any were incurred), cost of care for remaining live birds, damage to the coop/property that the chickens were on ie if they got into the coop by chewing or knawing it. It can also heavily depend on what your birds were for. Were they primarily for production purposes for you business(for eggs breeding etc?) If so the potential loss calculation is a viable one for sure. If they were pets that laid eggs for you the potential loss is still viable, but you're not always as likely to get compensation for potential loss then.

Hopefully someone with actual experience in this can come along and tell you the specifics of what they did. I lost my first chickens in the summer due to the neighbors dogs, but due to their willingness to pen them, and the fact that we were brand new to the neighborhood and didn't want to start off on the wrong foot, I decided not to pursue compensation. We have an agreement though now, that if their dogs are seen on our property, we will have to shoot them, since once a dog eats a chicken, they have a taste for it that is rarely extinguishable.

You might do a search on here and see if you can find some threads on this. I know they're there b/c there were a BUNCH of dog attacks this summer, with info pertaining to what you're looking for.

Good luck, and sorry for your loss.

 

[mothergoose1963]

My cousin lost some goats to dogs. The neighbor's insurance company paid for the goat herd and then some. My cousin shot one of the dogs that was still ripping apart a nanny goat and the neighbor rounded up the other one. Here, you can shoot a dog who is killing your livestock. I wouldn't want to shoot one--but you can. Anyway, he just started his herd and could not "prove" their potential value, but got his costs reimbursed and also a few hundred dollars more. I dont know if that helps you.

 

[coachhaze]

The hens I lost were for production of eggs. I did not process any of the hens for meat. I lost 5 golden comet hens, 1 partridge rock hen, 1 cornish, and 1 ararcauna rooster. Sadly there have been others but when I am at school the dog tends to come over whenever it feels the need to kill. All my birds are free range. The hens were all around 6-8 months old when they were killed. If anybody can help I would appreciate any advice in this matter.

coachhaze60 in NC

 

[okiemommy]

cost aside for the moment, have you talked to your neighbor about his dog coming in and killing your chickens? Not only does this need to impact him in the pocket book, but something needs to be done about the dog itself. I know you said you're not home at the time when it happens, so is your neighbor denying that it's his dog that's doing it? If so get a game cam. $15 bucks at Walmart andnot only will it prove his dog is doing it
(if he happens not to believe you), it will strengthen your case against him, when it comes time to collect the cost of your chickens, potential eggs etc.

 

[Mac in Wisco]

Quote:
I would think the only liability would be the replacement cost of the hen, say around $10, but if you want to figure lost profit:

At $15 for a 50 lb bag of feed, a hen's daily ration of .25 lbs costs 7.5 cents. At an 80% lay rate a hen lays .8 eggs per day. Eggs at $2.00 a dozen are worth 16.6 cents a piece. Excluding any other expenses, your profit per hen day is roughly 5.8 cents or just over $21 for the year.