INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[bearbottom]

Poll for the group.  I asked about this neighbor once before, but things have gotten worse (for her chickens and quite likely for ours) since then.

Our neighbor, the one who had two roos taken Friday night by what now have been determined to be coyotes (seen on OUR property the next morning), has apparently gone away for the weekend and left her two outside chickens unattended.  No food.  No water.  In a chain link dog fence for the hen, and in a small cat crate for the roo (he can't even lay down or stretch his wings).  I brought her hen in last night because I was certain she'd be picked off otherwise--she perches on top of the chain link fence at night, but of course can't see, and I know my neighbor is too ill-informed to know this.

This morning as I returned the hen (having left the neighbor a note on her front door about what we learned about the coyote, and why I brought her hen in my garage overnight), I noticed the hen's pen had no water, and the roo had no food or water.  I watered the roo through the crate, but he's been crated HIS WHOLE LIFE since a chick, and I have no idea what his mental state is, so I didn't feel comfortable reaching back to grab his bowl.  Oh, and his crate is left in full sun all day.  Every day.

I'm obviously bothered about all this for a multitude of reasons, but what I want to do when she gets back is talk her into signing over her remaining chickens to me in exchange for me not turning her in for animal neglect.  (Her dog and cat are in the house, with her banty and possibly two other hens--if they didn't get eaten first.)  I don't have a problem with her keeping them inside as long as they have food and water they can't knock over--the stink is her problem--but I don't think she is mentally "right" and shouldn't have chickens at all.  Her dog and cats appear healthy.  I've handled her dog and seen her cats from a few feet away.  I don't know why she didn't put the crated roo inside the pen with the other hen, since the roos that picked on it are now dead, but in any case, she does not use food/water containers that are appropriate for chickens.  They get knocked over all the time.

She assured me she was going to bring ALL of them inside Saturday when I told her about her roos being killed.  She didn't.  And she apparently left town with someone else and made no arrangements for their care, and there is no way she filled up the hen's water container (which is huge) because it was still upright and bone dry.  It's an underbed storage box that did have a good bit of water in it a few days ago, but it's all since evaporated in the heat.

The owner is not an evil person, but she is one of the most braindead people I've ever met.  She was also too cheap to get anyone to mow her 1 acre lawn until we and her other neighbor finally shamed her into it, and she has NEVER contracted for trash service, which is vital where we live.  We have no tax-paid service, so trash just keeps piling up outside and I suspect inside her garage, since her car is never parked in there.

What would you do:

Nothing
Call authorities (we now have an animal neglect statute here)
Try my plan to just get her to give me her remaining 4-5 chickens (which I will promptly rehome)--adding that she admitted to me that she cannot afford even a small coop.
Something else??

In the meantime, what are some ways we can protect our birds from coyotes when they run out of her easy-grab McNuggets next door?

THANKS!

Wow, thats a lot. I'd try approaching her in a nice way to try to talk her out of the chickens. If she gives them up personally I'd still call the authorities. I clean hoarders houses and if it smells from the out side you know the inside is nasty. Thats not good for her, the cats, and the dog. sounds like she may need a bit of help. Thats one you have to approach gingerly. If you tell her your going to call she may get very nasty with you. Surgar v.s. vinegar

 

[flyladyrocks]

If it is too hot to keep them in the coop what should we do? I don't want them to run away or not find their way back home. And they are not used to us yet so they are not easy to catch even in the coop. I'm not sure if we could catch them outside.

Is the reason the chickens and turkeys will sleep in separate areas because you don't have room or is it bad for them to sleep together? We only have one coop and it is plenty big (7.5' by 11.5') so we would love to house all of our birds together. We have considered turning half of our garage into a coop for meat birds / possible winter coop, but we are not sure on that yet.

Thanks for the information about blackhead, I will definitely call before I get any.

Ditto on the Sebright - so pretty!

I think I know what kind this is but want to make sure got it same day as my silkie.

WOWSERS! I think your idea of telling her you will take in her birds or report her is not unreasonable. It sounds like she is, now to say this nicely "not all there". So how to do it in a nice way that she will understand is the challenge. Her neglect can and likely will have a direct impact on your flock. It is difficult to tackle this b/c you will still be right next door, so neighbor relations come into play, but her birds are being neglected and risking yours so you need to do something! And sometimes you can only do so much and no matter how you try you can't have a good relationship with a neighbor (we are there!).

Poll for the group. I asked about this neighbor once before, but things have gotten worse (for her chickens and quite likely for ours) since then.

Our neighbor, the one who had two roos taken Friday night by what now have been determined to be coyotes (seen on OUR property the next morning), has apparently gone away for the weekend and left her two outside chickens unattended. No food. No water. In a chain link dog fence for the hen, and in a small cat crate for the roo (he can't even lay down or stretch his wings). I brought her hen in last night because I was certain she'd be picked off otherwise--she perches on top of the chain link fence at night, but of course can't see, and I know my neighbor is too ill-informed to know this.

This morning as I returned the hen (having left the neighbor a note on her front door about what we learned about the coyote, and why I brought her hen in my garage overnight), I noticed the hen's pen had no water, and the roo had no food or water. I watered the roo through the crate, but he's been crated HIS WHOLE LIFE since a chick, and I have no idea what his mental state is, so I didn't feel comfortable reaching back to grab his bowl. Oh, and his crate is left in full sun all day. Every day.

I'm obviously bothered about all this for a multitude of reasons, but what I want to do when she gets back is talk her into signing over her remaining chickens to me in exchange for me not turning her in for animal neglect. (Her dog and cat are in the house, with her banty and possibly two other hens--if they didn't get eaten first.) I don't have a problem with her keeping them inside as long as they have food and water they can't knock over--the stink is her problem--but I don't think she is mentally "right" and shouldn't have chickens at all. Her dog and cats appear healthy. I've handled her dog and seen her cats from a few feet away. I don't know why she didn't put the crated roo inside the pen with the other hen, since the roos that picked on it are now dead, but in any case, she does not use food/water containers that are appropriate for chickens. They get knocked over all the time.

She assured me she was going to bring ALL of them inside Saturday when I told her about her roos being killed. She didn't. And she apparently left town with someone else and made no arrangements for their care, and there is no way she filled up the hen's water container (which is huge) because it was still upright and bone dry. It's an underbed storage box that did have a good bit of water in it a few days ago, but it's all since evaporated in the heat.

The owner is not an evil person, but she is one of the most braindead people I've ever met. She was also too cheap to get anyone to mow her 1 acre lawn until we and her other neighbor finally shamed her into it, and she has NEVER contracted for trash service, which is vital where we live. We have no tax-paid service, so trash just keeps piling up outside and I suspect inside her garage, since her car is never parked in there.

What would you do:

Nothing
Call authorities (we now have an animal neglect statute here)
Try my plan to just get her to give me her remaining 4-5 chickens (which I will promptly rehome)--adding that she admitted to me that she cannot afford even a small coop.
Something else??

In the meantime, what are some ways we can protect our birds from coyotes when they run out of her easy-grab McNuggets next door?

THANKS!

 

[ChickCrazed]

Poll for the group. I asked about this neighbor once before, but things have gotten worse (for her chickens and quite likely for ours) since then.

Our neighbor, the one who had two roos taken Friday night by what now have been determined to be coyotes (seen on OUR property the next morning), has apparently gone away for the weekend and left her two outside chickens unattended. No food. No water. In a chain link dog fence for the hen, and in a small cat crate for the roo (he can't even lay down or stretch his wings). I brought her hen in last night because I was certain she'd be picked off otherwise--she perches on top of the chain link fence at night, but of course can't see, and I know my neighbor is too ill-informed to know this.

This morning as I returned the hen (having left the neighbor a note on her front door about what we learned about the coyote, and why I brought her hen in my garage overnight), I noticed the hen's pen had no water, and the roo had no food or water. I watered the roo through the crate, but he's been crated HIS WHOLE LIFE since a chick, and I have no idea what his mental state is, so I didn't feel comfortable reaching back to grab his bowl. Oh, and his crate is left in full sun all day. Every day.

I'm obviously bothered about all this for a multitude of reasons, but what I want to do when she gets back is talk her into signing over her remaining chickens to me in exchange for me not turning her in for animal neglect. (Her dog and cat are in the house, with her banty and possibly two other hens--if they didn't get eaten first.) I don't have a problem with her keeping them inside as long as they have food and water they can't knock over--the stink is her problem--but I don't think she is mentally "right" and shouldn't have chickens at all. Her dog and cats appear healthy. I've handled her dog and seen her cats from a few feet away. I don't know why she didn't put the crated roo inside the pen with the other hen, since the roos that picked on it are now dead, but in any case, she does not use food/water containers that are appropriate for chickens. They get knocked over all the time.

She assured me she was going to bring ALL of them inside Saturday when I told her about her roos being killed. She didn't. And she apparently left town with someone else and made no arrangements for their care, and there is no way she filled up the hen's water container (which is huge) because it was still upright and bone dry. It's an underbed storage box that did have a good bit of water in it a few days ago, but it's all since evaporated in the heat.

The owner is not an evil person, but she is one of the most braindead people I've ever met. She was also too cheap to get anyone to mow her 1 acre lawn until we and her other neighbor finally shamed her into it, and she has NEVER contracted for trash service, which is vital where we live. We have no tax-paid service, so trash just keeps piling up outside and I suspect inside her garage, since her car is never parked in there.

What would you do:

Nothing
Call authorities (we now have an animal neglect statute here)
Try my plan to just get her to give me her remaining 4-5 chickens (which I will promptly rehome)--adding that she admitted to me that she cannot afford even a small coop.
Something else??

In the meantime, what are some ways we can protect our birds from coyotes when they run out of her easy-grab McNuggets next door?

THANKS!

I would try to nicely talk her into letting you take them and then contact as many authorities as you can. I sure wouldn't be putting up with garbage everywhere or a perpetually unkept lawn, let alone what conditions the poor inside critters may be forced to live in.

 

[racinchickins]

Quote: Porters Heritage Turkeys is located in Northern Indiana. You could probably do an order for pickup. Since there wouldn't be shipping, you might not have to meet a minimum order.

 

[lilrider]

Porters Heritage Turkeys is located in Northern Indiana.  You could probably do an order for pickup.  Since there wouldn't be shipping, you might not have to meet a minimum order.

I looked into porter but their website says they do not allow pickup or anyone to visit their farm

 

[racinchickins]

I'm just smitten by this babe! Unlike any chick I've ever raised. For those of you that missed it, this is my lone Peachick at the moment. I have 3 left, 2 with external pips. One has been pipped since the one that hatched pipped but it wasted no time. 3 hours and it was out! This one is working on 32 hours with a pip. It's still alive but I'm not sure why no progress.






@racinchickins. .see don't they look a lot like your poults? !

If you wouldn't have said it was a pea, I would have definitely assumed it was a poult.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote:
You might me able to arrange a local meeting point. I don't meet buyers at my place anymore. But my local bank was more than happy to let us use their parking lot after their business hours. If you email him, he is very friendly too.

 

[lilrider]

Thanks that's a great idea. I'll send him an email.

 

[lilrider]

Well that's a no go from Porters. He is very nice though. If I were to order I would definitely consider them.

 

[chknbrdr]

It is my understanding that because of the Avian flu scare, tomorrow the Indiana Board of Animal Health will issue a temporary emergency order that restricts movement of live birds into or out of Indiana as well a within the state to an event or exhibition where birds will be co-mingled for 90 days. This order cancels the poultry and pigeon show at the State Fair as well as county fairs (assuming my info is correct). I assume it will also eliminate poultry at swap meets and auctions.
Stinks for all the kids who have been raising poultry for the fair all year!

Matt