Need advice on Neighbor that thinks my chickens "ATE" her tree...

[MamaManda]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I am of the same opinion as most of you, and just have to figure out how to nicely explain typical chicken behavior to her while refusing to pay for the tree...without starting a 'war of neighbors'. The tree was cut down today, and is currently laying in her driveway. Such a shame, too, since it was a very nice looking tree, even without the dead branches.

Demand that she demonstrate how a chicken peels and eats the bark off a maple tree using only its beak.

That would certainly be amusing.

I am going to tell you it is not worth the argument...Just buy her the tree for 25.00 at a feed/farm store..Maybe even offer to take to pick one out. She is bored. Take her to lunch too.

I agree that it's not worth the argument, and that lunch would be a good idea as far as my peace effort is concerned. However, that is how I HAVE been dealing with her, making every effort to keep her on 'my side' . The problem is, we have only lived here for a year and a half, and I have a hard time seeing how I will be able to keep her happy forever. The other problem is, I have small children. She isn't fond of children. I doubt she would enjoy lunch with me and my 4 littles.

A side issue with "buying her the tree" is that this is a 30 year old Japanese Maple. They aren't $25, or even $100. She wouldn't settle for a 3 year old sapling to replace her 25 foot tree.

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Thank you for the links WalkingOnSunshine! Those are very helpful.

 

[redneck farmer]

I would explane that chickens don't eat bark an if they did peck at bark it would not be enough to kill a tree... Plus the tree died because SHE cut it down not the chickens

 

[Clackclack]

Essentially she want to get a free replacement Japanese Maple, which is very expensive. Tell her that the statue of limitations has expired or that you already ate the offending chicken, which is punishment enough. Seriously, she is probably just bored and a bit greedy. Perhaps you should try to move you coop away from her as far as possible.

 

[EweSheep]

Normally chickens don't eat bark or do enough damage. She is barking up on the wrong tree! Probably the tree is dying because it might have some insect that is slowly killing the tree.

 

[what did I do]

If the chickens were by the tree picking at it I bet there were bugs on the tree that the chickens were eating. The bugs could have killed the tree.

You do need to keep the chickens off her property some how. I think an electric poultry fence would work nicely.

 

[oldrooster]

Don't buy her anything or admit to as little even looking over your fence to her yard start going to the police station and requesting all they info you can (like call logs and police reports) that she's done to you and your neighbors because she might take you to court and if you go in with all that evidence plus witnesses or witness statements that says she's a busy body with a wild imagination then you can tell the judge she isn't right in the head and a troublesome meddler and hopefully the judge will laugh in her face and laugh at her...