BigDaddy'sGurl :
Just responding to the last couple of comments about going to the neighbor's wife's work and that whole issue: it may seem like what you want to do because of the situation, but the wife was not actually involved this time, nor is she responsible for what her husband did this time. You are punishing her by association for previous actions. If you wanted to involve her, it should have been the time that she did do something: i.e. when the bear attacked the goose. You already have a court date, so if you go to your neighbor's wife's work, you could be charged with harassment. Also, why would you want to punish the vet's office who I'm sure has no idea of what is going on at all? You would be costing the innocent workplace lots of revenue due to lost business if you announced, like several are recommending, that her "husband" hurt your chickens.
Sometimes, although it is hard to do when you are hurt or mad, you have to be the bigger person and not go with petty jabs to try to "win".
Also, no offense, but we have one side of this story here, and while nothing warrants abusing an animal, I personally feel that the recommendations of violence to the neighbor, his wife, etc. are uncalled for. (None have been made by the OP to this point, I believe)
Maybe it's just the optimist in me, but I like to think the neighbor found the chickens in his yard during the start of a blizzard (my impression is they are free range to this point and if the neighbor's chickens can get in the OP's yard, the OP's chickens can possibly get in the neighbor's yard) and it being a BLIZZARD, he was not going to truck them houses away to lock them in their own coop. Maybe he actually found them in HIS coop the next morning, WHO KNOWS? There was no conversation here, just yelling. I'm not calling the OP a liar by any stretch of the imagination. And if the neighbor really is so volatile, which I do not doubt, then there may have been no opportunity to discuss what happened from the neighbor's perspective. It sounds awful to say, but at least you got your birds back and they are alive. Document any further interaction with the neighbor or any injuries, go to court, and present your case. If you want them to leave you alone, leave them alone. Let the authorities deal with it now.
My recommendation? Build a locking coop with run or put gates on your fence with locks and keep the birds in something that requires a key to access. No more free range as your birds may be in danger from either bears or neighbors. If you keep them contained where nothing has access without a key, they can't be stolen or injured. Maybe not what you WANT to do, but it would solve a lot of problems. It doesn't seem right, being your property to have to do this, but it may be what works.
I'm being smart-I'm not reporting her to her job as of yet, I'm going to wait after the court hearing, I want to see how she handles this. The Judge has him on NJ statuet 4 22-17 animal cruelty, that's a felony.
