This morning shortly before 8, our dogs started raising the predator alarm, and I look out the window to see a very large Siberian Husky running around my driveway and jumping at my fences.
We ran outside and shoo'd the dog away, and found that my Giant Cochin Roo (still a juvenile), Phil, was missing. Sometime's Phil and his ladies (Phillipa and Phyllis) liked to squeeze through the gate and go through my flower beds. My other chickens are scattered all over, on top of fences, etc.
While I'm trying to figure out where the dog went/whom his owner might be, a neighbor walking their dog shouts to me..."Did you see the size of that dog!? He had a cat in it's mouth!" He apparently was aggressive with this neighbor as well.
Of course immediately I knew that was my Phil. We did track down the owner, and she was apologetic and said she'd replace the chicken. I understand mistakes happen, so I'm not angry, I'm just curious if there's a good way to temper the possible reaction that will come once she realizes the cost. I can't find mature Cochins locally, and Phil was so tame I'd prefer to hatch him out myself. We have two other Roo's and I don't want to bring another adult in to start a territory war, either.
Shortly after my husband talked to her, she came to our door. She had found Phil in her front yard and from what my husband described, seemed like she was saying "Ok, I found him, isn't this great?". Phil has a dislocated leg, broken wing, and several extremely deep gashes on his back and I know we'll have to put him down shortly. She seemed to think we should take him to a vet, but didn't neccessarily offer to pay either. And with the leg, as much as I like Phil, he's here for breeding and I need him to be productive, and I can't see him ever being able to breed successfully with only one leg.
Aside from how nice he was, He and his ladies are about six months old and JUST started laying. I have lots of local orders for fertile eggs.
What is fair to ask for reimbursement? Obviously, I can't order just one egg, and I wouldn't want to try to hatch just one egg or brood just one egg, and that wouldn't guarantee me a roo of his color regardless. So...is it the cost of eggs, plus the cost of feed to get him to maturity? Do I charge for lost income on sold eggs?
We ran outside and shoo'd the dog away, and found that my Giant Cochin Roo (still a juvenile), Phil, was missing. Sometime's Phil and his ladies (Phillipa and Phyllis) liked to squeeze through the gate and go through my flower beds. My other chickens are scattered all over, on top of fences, etc.
While I'm trying to figure out where the dog went/whom his owner might be, a neighbor walking their dog shouts to me..."Did you see the size of that dog!? He had a cat in it's mouth!" He apparently was aggressive with this neighbor as well.
Of course immediately I knew that was my Phil. We did track down the owner, and she was apologetic and said she'd replace the chicken. I understand mistakes happen, so I'm not angry, I'm just curious if there's a good way to temper the possible reaction that will come once she realizes the cost. I can't find mature Cochins locally, and Phil was so tame I'd prefer to hatch him out myself. We have two other Roo's and I don't want to bring another adult in to start a territory war, either.
Shortly after my husband talked to her, she came to our door. She had found Phil in her front yard and from what my husband described, seemed like she was saying "Ok, I found him, isn't this great?". Phil has a dislocated leg, broken wing, and several extremely deep gashes on his back and I know we'll have to put him down shortly. She seemed to think we should take him to a vet, but didn't neccessarily offer to pay either. And with the leg, as much as I like Phil, he's here for breeding and I need him to be productive, and I can't see him ever being able to breed successfully with only one leg.
Aside from how nice he was, He and his ladies are about six months old and JUST started laying. I have lots of local orders for fertile eggs.
What is fair to ask for reimbursement? Obviously, I can't order just one egg, and I wouldn't want to try to hatch just one egg or brood just one egg, and that wouldn't guarantee me a roo of his color regardless. So...is it the cost of eggs, plus the cost of feed to get him to maturity? Do I charge for lost income on sold eggs?
