How much would you charge?

[cowcreekgeeks]

West Virginia law allows livestock owners to kill dogs at large that chases, wounds, worries or kills their livestock. It also provides a way to recoup losses and damages from the dog owner. It EVEN requires the dog owner to kill the offending dog.

Two dogs wounded one of my hens this morning while they were on their morning romp through my yard. What should I charge the dog owner for the hen? Going rate for laying hens are around $10...but I'm mad. I'm thinking $10 for the hen plus the cost of a bag of feed. Or...$10 for the hen plus the amount of eggs I'm out of for a year which is two dozen a month x $3.50/dz= $94.

This is NOT a discussion about having secure pens...they have that. I let them out of the pen supervised...but had to hit the head. I came back out and the two mutts were in my yard chasing chickens.

 

[jojo@rolling acres farm]

$15.00 for the hen + the $94.00 Sorry to hear about your troubles.

 

[Casey3043]

I think at least $100 for a fully mature laying hen, plus something for the aggravation of their trespassing dogs. They will then find it in the best interests of their wallet to keep their dogs in.

You can justify it with the cost of raising her plus the loss of her eggs for the time it takes to raise a replacement.

 

[Bizzybirdy]

$20 for the hen + the eggs she would have produced + any damage the dogs did to your property and other hens that are in shock and will not lay for awhile.

Did the hen die? Would also bill for medical treatment/care if she did not.

 

[Boyd]

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[antlers]

Dont know about there but in Minn, I don't think youd get more than the value of the hen. About $10. Judges would say take the 10 and go get another hen. Your no better or worse off in the laws eyes. Punitive awards I doubt would apply here.

 

[journey11]

I lost one hen to my neighbor's dogs last fall. She offered to pay for her, but I declined, which I feel that communicated to her that it was more to me than just a dead chicken. We were on friendly terms to begin with, so I didn't pursue the money. My ultimate goal and what I insisted on was that she keep her dogs out of my yard. I cited to her the law on dogs harassing and killing livestock and my right to shoot them if I caught them in the act. She keeps her dogs well confined now, and as a result of THAT we are still on friendly terms now.

You are certainly entitled to reimbursement. I'm not sure what the law will give you, or how much it costs to go through with it and attempt to collect.

Depending on your relationship to the neighbor, you might offer to let it slide if they promise to restrain their dogs. (If you'd lost multiple birds, then I would certainly pursue damages). I would weigh it out against the stress of going to war with your neighbor. You might be able to settle this peaceably. They'd be more likely to fork over the $15 and agree to fence their dogs.

If they are careless and belligerent...then you'd have to step it up to try to ensure it didn't happen again and again.

 

[christa7032]

I agree with Antlers. Granted I don't know about the laws in your state but here in California I think a judge would only reimburse you the cost of replacing the animal and any medical bills the attack incurred. A neighbor's dog killed my rooster last week but I don't know who he belongs to so I haven't confronted his owners. I have seen him and another neighbor's dogs on my property so my husband is going to charge his airsoft gun for me so I can shoot them next time I see them. The pellet will not go through their skin or do any permanent damage but it will give them a pretty good sting and hopefully it will only take once or twice before they stop coming around. Otherwise I will have to confront the owners. I am just not looking forward to the confrontation. Sorry about your loss, it seems like no matter what extremes we go to to protect them something still happens.

 

[wombat]

In most jurisdictions, the law will entitle you to replacement cost. If a replacement hen is $10, you get $10, not the value of all the feed the hen as eaten as well. Sorry.

You might be able to get medical bills, but unless the bird later died of the injuries, or was rendered unfit for its purpose, you probably won't be able to get the medical bills and a replacement as well.

 

[wombat]

Quote:
Depends on the gun. Someone shot one of our German Shepherd Dogs in the face with a .22 air rifle and it set us back about $1000 in surgery, on top of leaving him with problems breathing through his nose. He was inside our fenced yard at the time, and from the angle of entry, was facing away with his nose to the ground when hit. Not sure if it was malicious, or a stray shot that carried and happened to hit him.

There's another post on this forum from someone who unitentionally killed a Golden Retriever with a shot from an air rifle that penetrated the dog's heart.

Not to say you shouldn't shoot loose dogs harassing livestock, just saying that some air rifles can maim or kill even large breeds.