Updates on the last pages: Neighbor is threatening me and my chickens

[Smileybans]

My neighbor all of a sudden has a problem with my chickens. He freaked out because I held 40 chicks overnight for a friend. The chicks were gone in the morning but he is still freaking out. He’s worried his dog will come into my yard and kill my chickens. But then he tells me he has trained his dog not to touch my chickens.

I live in upstate ny where the right to farm law is in effect. My village zoning laws say nothing about not being able to keep poultry. It actually says it’s okay to keep all kinds of livestock in any zone. There is also no limit on how many I can keep. The right to farm law covers most of the zoning law in my village.

I breed and sell my chickens. I sell the chicks and the eggs. This has quickly become part of my income since I cannot work outside of my home. I have four roosters and twenty hens. My neighbor is mad that I have named all of my chickens and that I don’t actually know how many I have. I know how many I have but don’t tell him because it isn’t his business.

I’m wondering if I’m in the wrong here at all. If he calls someone down will I get into trouble? Or can I flip the scrip because he lets his dog off leash in a town with leash laws? In the zoning laws for my village it says no animal shall run at large, except cats, unless fenced in properly. My chickens are fenced in but hes afraid his dog will bust through the fence or something. There is also no talking to this guy. He’s an old man stuck in his ways and refuses to listen to anyone who doesn’t tell him what he wants to hear.

Advice? Should I just let it be? My anxiety has me going crazy.

 

[neo71665]

It's the owners job to keep their animal contained. That includes both you and your chickens and him and his dog. If you have your chickens contained it's his responsibility to keep his dog off your property.

 

[Geckolady]

It sounds like he's in the wrong--for harassment.

 

[Smileybans]

I thought I wasn’t wrong. I have read over the zoning laws so many times and can’t see how I could be wrong. But he just keeps yelling at me. Now he’s telling me he did his homework and I can’t keep roosters or sell the animals or their products. Both are illegal. I asked him to show me where that was illegal. But he wouldn’t show me. I just don’t want to lose my flock because of some crotchety old man who won’t let it go.

 

[neo71665]

Have you checked local laws to make sure you don't need a permit to sell animals/eggs if you don't have a permit?

 

[Smileybans]

I’ve looked into the state laws because I couldn’t find any local laws. The state laws say I have to own more than 3000 chickens to require registration to sell eggs. Otherwise the eggs have to refrigerated below 45F and packages labeled with the federal guidelines. To sell chicks under the age of 8 weeks I have to sell in numbers of no less than 6.

 

[Tawanda84]

My neighbor all of a sudden has a problem with my chickens. He freaked out because I held 40 chicks overnight for a friend. The chicks were gone in the morning but he is still freaking out. He’s worried his dog will come into my yard and kill my chickens. But then he tells me he has trained his dog not to touch my chickens.

I live in upstate ny where the right to farm law is in effect. My village zoning laws say nothing about not being able to keep poultry. It actually says it’s okay to keep all kinds of livestock in any zone. There is also no limit on how many I can keep. The right to farm law covers most of the zoning law in my village.

I breed and sell my chickens. I sell the chicks and the eggs. This has quickly become part of my income since I cannot work outside of my home. I have four roosters and twenty hens. My neighbor is mad that I have named all of my chickens and that I don’t actually know how many I have. I know how many I have but don’t tell him because it isn’t his business.

I’m wondering if I’m in the wrong here at all. If he calls someone down will I get into trouble? Or can I flip the scrip because he lets his dog off leash in a town with leash laws? In the zoning laws for my village it says no animal shall run at large, except cats, unless fenced in properly. My chickens are fenced in but hes afraid his dog will bust through the fence or something. There is also no talking to this guy. He’s an old man stuck in his ways and refuses to listen to anyone who doesn’t tell him what he wants to hear.

Advice? Should I just let it be? My anxiety has me going crazy.

I would ask a lawyer to write a letter to him.

 

[neo71665]

Yeah different places have different requirements. Some places go by general state laws while others have local county or town ordinances dealing with livestock. I would call the local extension office to double check.

 

[Smileybans]

So my neighbor is a drunk and has been for 30 some odd years. My mom says to ignore him. He has been acting nice to me now but then right after acting mean again. My mom says it’s something called wet brain and has to do with drunkards. Talking to this guy is giving me whiplash. I’m trying to ignore him but he’s trying to make “pleasant” conversation with one minute then biting my head off. I wish this all didn’t feel so damn crazy.

 

[sassychickens76]

We are pretty lucky to live outside city limits. Our only neighbor is a feed lot for cows.