My neighbor is feeding my chickens potatoes -_-

[Sobek]

I think potato skin is only toxic after it turns green. My chickens loved some volunteer potatoes that came up. They'd peck/dig them out of the ground bit by bit

hmmmm GREEN? or like a yellowish green? these looked yellowish light green if green AT ALL

 

[townchicks]

I'd continue to politely ask her to stop throwing stuff out there. It may help to get some BOSS or mealworms for her to feed them instead, of course explain only a handful a day. If she is lonely, just being friendly with her may do the trick. Suggesting she get a few chickens of her own might be an idea too.

 

[CanadaEh]

I actually only know there was potatoes because I started sorting through the mush and crap she was feeding them. I can't say they were specifically eating the potato skins but everything was sort of mixed together like pig slop :l so I'm not sure the chickens even KNOW there are potatoes in there

They don't have to know they are potatoes and how potatoes look like. Whatever senses the chickens have, they guide them to identify what pieces to eat and what not to eat. What you are saying is if it no longer looks like potato skin, it may will fool chickens in eating it (in quantity, not just peck it once and realize it is crap).

 

[TCCL]

Gosh, dealing with neighbors can be a very precarious thing. Here is how I would do it: I would make a show that something is terribly wrong with the chickens. Express concern. Be distraught. Go to her for comfort. But don’t talk about food. “oh dear!! Thee chickens are sick! They are having diarrhea and I don’t know why! I’m so worried! I don’t know what to do!” She will be concerned and worried too. Tell her you know she loves the chickens too and appreciate her as a member of the flock. Tell her you are going to see a vet. Go through the motions of seeing a vet. After the imaginary vet visit seek her out right away. Tell her the chickens will be fine. Cry with relief and happiness with her. The vet gave us some special food for the special chickens and they should only eat this special special food if we want them to be healthy. Give her a bag of this special food. If you see her putting out the bad foods again, go through the “omg! Something is terribly wrong with the chickens again! The vet said the special food would keep them healthy! That’s all we have been giving them! They haven’t been eating anythjng but the special food!? Oh dear!! I’m so worried!” Make a false show about going to the vet again. Again huddle with her after and say the vet says to keep feeding the special food and ONLY the special food. If at this point she doesn’t want to get on board with the special food treatment then I don’t know.

I know my approach is full of lies and manipulation but I really hesitant to rub a neighbor the wrong way. Especially one that may be a little crazy. Nothing good will come of that. Keep it detached from you. “The vet said they should only eat this”. Versus “I want them to only eat this”. Let her be a part of the solution to the imaginary chicken plague.

Oh, also, I would add into the “vets advice” that he told you, and that you are now casually sharing with her for no reason, is that wild animals can and WILL bring sickness and DEATH upon the chickens so wild animals should not be encouraged into the yard...

 

[Timothy Menezes]

Lol your chickens are getting free food and that's a bad thing? Chickens have been eating humans leftevers for centurys, trust me, they will be just fine. I would love that.

My old neighbor's dog used to kill my chickens, thank God they moved. My new neighbors started a flock of their own. Apparently they thought their baby chicks needed a mommy, so they tossed one of my silver Leghorns into their coop and locked her in. I thought I lost her do to a predator until their kid told my kid what they had done about a week or 2 later.

I was seriously dumbfounded, they seem like such nice people, but they totally just appropriated my chicken! Once their kid told them the cat was out of the bag, they returned her.

 

[Shamo Hybrid]

Lol your chickens are getting free food and that's a bad thing? Chickens have been eating humans leftevers for centurys, trust me, they will be just fine. I would love that.

My old neighbor's dog used to kill my chickens, thank God they moved. My new neighbors started a flock of their own. Apparently they thought their baby chicks needed a mommy, so they tossed one of my silver Leghorns into their coop and locked her in. I thought I lost her do to a predator until their kid told my kid what they had done about a week or 2 later.

I was seriously dumbfounded, they seem like such nice people, but they totally just appropriated my chicken! Once their kid told them the cat was out of the bag, they returned her.

Funny story. As for the lonely little old lady with an unappreciative neighbor *ahem*, like someone else who posted up there before me..... tell her that the chickens need to be on a special diet and they are having diarrhea because of the slop she is throwing over to them. Make sure to bring a box of Kleenex first before you break the lonely little old lady's heart though...... HMMPH!!

 

[Sobek]

Lol your chickens are getting free food and that's a bad thing? Chickens have been eating humans leftevers for centurys, trust me, they will be just fine. I would love that.

My old neighbor's dog used to kill my chickens, thank God they moved. My new neighbors started a flock of their own. Apparently they thought their baby chicks needed a mommy, so they tossed one of my silver Leghorns into their coop and locked her in. I thought I lost her do to a predator until their kid told my kid what they had done about a week or 2 later.

I was seriously dumbfounded, they seem like such nice people, but they totally just appropriated my chicken! Once their kid told them the cat was out of the bag, they returned her.

That's cruel.... Honestly I would flip out if anyone hurt my chickens or took. When I thought they died I cried and attacked a possum. A couple days later a cat attacks them during the day. I basically teleported through the door and I was dashing like a murder chicken it all happened so fast my girl didn't even get a scratch I reacted so quickly

 

[Sobek]

Gosh, dealing with neighbors can be a very precarious thing. Here is how I would do it: I would make a show that something is terribly wrong with the chickens. Express concern. Be distraught. Go to her for comfort. But don’t talk about food. “oh dear!! Thee chickens are sick! They are having diarrhea and I don’t know why! I’m so worried! I don’t know what to do!” She will be concerned and worried too. Tell her you know she loves the chickens too and appreciate her as a member of the flock. Tell her you are going to see a vet. Go through the motions of seeing a vet. After the imaginary vet visit seek her out right away. Tell her the chickens will be fine. Cry with relief and happiness with her. The vet gave us some special food for the special chickens and they should only eat this special special food if we want them to be healthy. Give her a bag of this special food. If you see her putting out the bad foods again, go through the “omg! Something is terribly wrong with the chickens again! The vet said the special food would keep them healthy! That’s all we have been giving them! They haven’t been eating anythjng but the special food!? Oh dear!! I’m so worried!” Make a false show about going to the vet again. Again huddle with her after and say the vet says to keep feeding the special food and ONLY the special food. If at this point she doesn’t want to get on board with the special food treatment then I don’t know.

I know my approach is full of lies and manipulation but I really hesitant to rub a neighbor the wrong way. Especially one that may be a little crazy. Nothing good will come of that. Keep it detached from you. “The vet said they should only eat this”. Versus “I want them to only eat this”. Let her be a part of the solution to the imaginary chicken plague.

Oh, also, I would add into the “vets advice” that he told you, and that you are now casually sharing with her for no reason, is that wild animals can and WILL bring sickness and DEATH upon the chickens so wild animals should not be encouraged into the yard...

That's what I said!!! I made a big deal about the possum bringing disease into the yard and I was going to capture it and put it down because I don't want it around. The landlord told me to stay away from her too lol! She told us that she saw a man in a ski mask watching her. Out of all people her through the fence. And a bunch of other crazy stories.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I like the suggestions about going and having a chat with her about what would be better choices for chicken snacks, so at least if she's tossing treats to them, it's preapproved.

Reminds me of a lot I saw that was on a busy street corner with 2 horses, the owners would put out a bucket of carrot pieces and a sign that said it was ok to treat from the bucket, as people were giving the horses all sorts of junk before that.

 

[Nats Chickens]

Lol your chickens are getting free food and that's a bad thing? Chickens have been eating humans leftevers for centurys, trust me, they will be just fine. I would love that.

My old neighbor's dog used to kill my chickens, thank God they moved. My new neighbors started a flock of their own. Apparently they thought their baby chicks needed a mommy, so they tossed one of my silver Leghorns into their coop and locked her in. I thought I lost her do to a predator until their kid told my kid what they had done about a week or 2 later.

I was seriously dumbfounded, they seem like such nice people, but they totally just appropriated my chicken! Once their kid told them the cat was out of the bag, they returned her.

If someone did that to me...