This is actually kind of tuff. I free range my chickens and while they don't leave my property, my guineas do. We call the guinea flock, the 80th St Gangsta Crew because they range the entire mile section and everyone feeds them. They come back at night and roost in a couple trees on my property. When there's predation, I am the one who orders the new keets and raises them up to join the survivors and I feed them and put out treats for them too. But I would have a hard time claiming "ownership" of one of those birds if someone else took it and put it in their own yard or coop. As long as s/he was happy, I don't think I'd complain much because that would mean someone was giving the bird a good home and prolonging his life. I GUESS it's technically stealing because I did buy the keet, raise it up, feed it and care for it for about 6 months before I let it go out of the coop/run area but once I do that, I kind of mentally say, "Good bye" because they go totally wild after that point.
At first, I was all indignant because it was a CHICKEN and a hen at that, but really what's the difference? If my chickens ranged the whole mile section, I don't think I'd as attached as I am to them either. It would be nice as a courtesy if someone came over and said, "You know that old brown hen you have? She's been brooding some eggs over in so and so's fountain and I'm concerned that she's going to get eaten. I took her last night and put her in my coop to protect her from the neighborhood predators, so she can hatch out those chicks. Do you mind?" At that point, I think I'd pretty much say, "OOOOH that's where the lil heffah went too! No no, go ahead! You gonna keep the chicks and raise 'em up?" and then we'd probably talk shop about our silly birds.
Now, if someone came over all judgemental, I'd give 'em a different reception. In my years of raising horses I've learned that there are many right ways to do it and mine isn't the only ok way. Some folks don't come up to my standards and I don't come up to other folks standards and we all have healthy, happy, well trained and well bred horses. I think raising chickens is pretty similar. I like to let mine out during the day and I shut them in the coop at dark. They always have lots of good layer feed, oyster shell and fresh water sitting around for them. I do lose some to daytime predators, but that's why I don't name 'em and don't cuddle 'em (except the cochins, they're my pets), I got 'em for egg laying, not more. Sounds like the guy who owns these birds doesn't even really care about the eggs, maybe he just wants 'em for bug control.
At first, I was all indignant because it was a CHICKEN and a hen at that, but really what's the difference? If my chickens ranged the whole mile section, I don't think I'd as attached as I am to them either. It would be nice as a courtesy if someone came over and said, "You know that old brown hen you have? She's been brooding some eggs over in so and so's fountain and I'm concerned that she's going to get eaten. I took her last night and put her in my coop to protect her from the neighborhood predators, so she can hatch out those chicks. Do you mind?" At that point, I think I'd pretty much say, "OOOOH that's where the lil heffah went too! No no, go ahead! You gonna keep the chicks and raise 'em up?" and then we'd probably talk shop about our silly birds.
Now, if someone came over all judgemental, I'd give 'em a different reception. In my years of raising horses I've learned that there are many right ways to do it and mine isn't the only ok way. Some folks don't come up to my standards and I don't come up to other folks standards and we all have healthy, happy, well trained and well bred horses. I think raising chickens is pretty similar. I like to let mine out during the day and I shut them in the coop at dark. They always have lots of good layer feed, oyster shell and fresh water sitting around for them. I do lose some to daytime predators, but that's why I don't name 'em and don't cuddle 'em (except the cochins, they're my pets), I got 'em for egg laying, not more. Sounds like the guy who owns these birds doesn't even really care about the eggs, maybe he just wants 'em for bug control.