Irresponsible neighbor and his roaming chickens

[bobbi-j]

You seem cranky, I'm sorry. Might I suggest getting some chickens? It might help!!

I own chickens, but I’d be cranky, too, if my neighbor’s chickens were in my yard.

 

[Bamabexchicks]

Presumably, when he sued you it was necessary for you to hire a lawyer. So you should already have a relationship with an attorney who is familiar with the neighbor in question. I would ask your lawyer to advise him that you are requesting the chickens be contained owing to toxic lawn treatment, that you will not be considered liable for any future harm to his livestock. I would make sure that any and all communication between you is a fact of legal public matter.

 

[IamRainey]

I agree that it shouldn’t be the non-chicken owner’s responsibility, but the neighbor obviously isn’t doing anything to keep his chickens off OP’s property, so OP will have to take that step themselves if they don’t want chickens in their yard.

Of course it isn't the non-chicken owner's responsibility. But if it solves the problem without creating new ones with a touchy non-responsive neighbor then that's what I'd do. Sometimes something is an unnecessary expense. Sometimes it's taking control of your life and your peace of mind.

ETA: A higher more secure fence will probably be cheaper than a lawyer and will last a whole lot longer than any letter to the neighbor who clearly doesn't care.

Get the job done! Put up a serious fence.

 

[Meg-in-MT]

Jeez, that's awful. I'm sorry you're having to deal with this.

I can't believe the police wouldn't do anything about that. Seems like an act of aggression or some warning to you. I'd contact a lawyer if you can't get animal control/sheriffs office to intervene.

Good luck to you. Bad neighbors are one of the worst problems to have.

 

[Meg-in-MT]

Are there range laws that deal with chickens?

 

[Meg-in-MT]

Around here, if someone's cattle get onto someone else's property for any length of time, you can pen them up and the owner will have to pay (up to $20-$30) per cow or pair to get them back. I do believe you've got to send a certified letter of intent beforehand. But it may get the guy to lock up his chickens before he's got to buy them back.

 

[Henry&Friends]

I’d suggest some SSS. Or bring some dogs onto your property. Or catch the chickens on your property, and have the sheriff (or someone elso) come retrieve them. Play petty, but don’t do something stupid.

 

[llombardo]

I just feel sorry for the chickens. It's not their fault. I have no other answers.

 

[Henry&Friends]

Where are you? I live just out of city bounds so my chickens can free range and I can have roosters, but if I lived a street over I wouldn’t be able to. Can you file a noise complaint?

Or, and hear me out here, you could get yourself a nice little flock of chickens, an electric chicken fence, and start collecting their chickens as trophies

 

[Wel/Rk]

Not my flock: Our neighbor has a flock of about 30 free range chickens that are roaming the neighborhood. We already have a 4' cattle fence separating his property from ours, but it does not keep the chickens out of my yard. We do have a farm, horses, but we do not have chickens. If I wanted chickens I would get them. I want to walk outside without stepping in chicken poop. I want to not get swarmed when I go in my yard. I want to fertilize/weed kill my lawn. I'd like to go approach the neighbor with suggestions, like: we are fertilizing, keep your chickens locked up for XX days, etc. I'm afraid if the chickens or people get sick he will try suing us. Any suggestions/guidelines? History - He tried to sue us when we built our horse barn for blocking his view of our property, and blocking the sun from the solar panels on the roof of his house, built on a hill above our property, surrounded by 60' tall oak trees. I wish I was kidding. He also had chickens many years ago, including a very aggressive rooster that would "fly" at you with it's talons out. We talked to him, and called the police several times and his solution was to follow one of the chickens onto our property and kill it in from of my young daughter. The police did nothing, he was retrieving his "property" from our yard. Do I need to talk to a lawyer? HELP!