Neighbor Chicken Hater

[ranchhand]

Quote:
If I recall, City of Austin and Travis County have different regulations regarding chickens. It's all online, check them both. Because I seem to remember that my chickens were not allowed to roam, but I was allowed to have hens, no roosters, and the coop had to be a certain distance from any neighbor's property.

 

[2DogsFarm]

I just went through the same thing.
Neighbors were actually very nice about it, but asked that I keep my flock off their property.

And since that property is ACROSS A ROAD (Yikes!) I thanked them for letting me know my girls were roaming that far.

So my flock has been on Lockdown since then & I let them out only when I am home.
So far losing all but 2-3 hours of freeranging time is not making them unhappy as far as I can tell.
Egg production is actually up!
& they still have a sizable fenced yard so it's not like they are locked in the coop.

I have 5ac they could roam, but since they chose the road I made the decision to end their freeranging days.
Actually less stressful for me too, since I don't have to worry about hawks or other predators while I'm at work.

Put up a fence & spare yourself further conflict.
FWIW I also took 1/2 dozen eggs over to the neighbors along with another apology & promise to not let it happen again.

 

[RedReiner]

Quote:
look into what? forcing the neighbor to put up a fence to keep YOUR animals off their deck? its not up to the neighbors to spend money to keep your animals off their property. I care about my animals and therefore I fence them in and keep them on my own property. Should the neighbors chickens find their way over here I would give them notice that next time they were mine.

 

[dkvart1]

This summer I will be getting my first chickens and while I'm still more than green I do know for certain I don't want chickens pooping on MY porch, or lawn furniture or tearing up my flower beds or garden, no matter how much I may love them. I can only imagine a neighbor would be less than thrilled at that.

It's funny if it were someones dog running amuck in your yard, terrorizing your flock I'm sure you would be upset and wonder why the owners aren't more responsible and keeping their animal contained and yet when it comes to your chickens you are upset because the neighbor is upset over your flock invading the land they pay for and live on. Your flock is interfering with their peace and enjoyment of what they worked hard for and yet you are upset??? I'm afraid I don't understand. And on top of that, because she isn't happy about the situation you unfairly lable her a chicken hater... that doesn't seem reasonable either.

I love dogs but I'm not happy when someones dog is running loose and on my property. That doesn't make me a dog hater, it makes me a land owner that doesn't care to have someone else's animal running around my yard being a nuisance.

And, while I hate to say it... it's these kind of situations, where chicken owners think their flock can roam wherever and others have no right to complain when they don't want them in their yards, that make it hard for people living in towns to get zoning regs changed so they can have a small flock of their own. Just as you are talking here, she is talking to friends and family members about her frustration with your flock.

 

[SIMPleChick]

You can come be my neighbor! I won't complain! LOL

 

[Barry Natchitoches]

I have wonderful neighbors, and all of them have been quite tolerant of my chickens -- even the rooster who insists on crowing BEFORE dawn!


But I would never push the limits of their tolerance by allowing my birds to roam onto their properties. I would think that they would change their tune if I allowed that to happen.


I fenced in a nice size chicken yard around their henhouse, and they stay inside that chicken yard. They get plenty of grass and bugs to eat, because I dump all the grass clippings and garden weeds into their yard when I'm cutting grass and weeding the garden.


But still, they stay confined in their chicken yard.


And my neighbors remain supportive of my chicken habit.

 

[f8thnjc]

Quote:
Wow, I didn't know they still had those laws. Interesting to know. I know it's not that way here in Maine.

 

[schellie69]

Quote:
This is a very sorry statement. I would be putting up fences to keep my animals under my control. I am sorry but saying something like this just because of an old out date rule does not make it right. It sounds like you found a way to just let your animals roam. I think as a animal owner we owe it to our animals to give them a safe fenced in area to graze. This makes the animals happy and keeps neighbors happy. The rule for a minimum fence will not keep most animals out which means the animal owner can be held responsible so I would build a really good fence and save some headaches for everyone. To the OP build a nice size chicken pen and your chickens will be happy your neighbor will be happy.

 

[Squishypuff]

Keep in mind too, that even if the "fence out" law applies, there is nothing stopping that upset neighbor from making any birds they catch in their yard disappear. I can't say I'd blame them, either. You have to have respect for your neighbors- they should not have to just accept that your chickens can roam onto their property whenever. I think your best bet is to pen up your flock, then apologize profusely, fix whatever damage they did, and be very careful it doesn't happen again. Around here, people with roaming animals find that someone finally tired of it, caught the animal, and found it a new home. It's sad for the owner, but you can't blame people for getting fed up either.