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

[neo71665]

*cracks open a beer

Yeah I'm outside city limits but I have neighbors on both sides. One is my aunt and the other are my parents so they don't say anything about my livestock.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

SO, I've read a lot of zoning laws. I don't recommend. Not going to second guess your research. If your zoning says you are in the clear, you are in the clear.

It **HAS** been my observation that lots of places don't even mention poultry in their zoning. But almost EVERYWHERE mentions dogs. and almost everywhere has zoning regarding loose animals destroying property, *particularly loose dogs*.

Find your zoning and ordinances regarding treatment of dangerous animals. Print a copy, large text. Hand it to your neighbor.

You have a fence. Its not incumbent on you to protect your birds from his dog, or to give up your birds for his dog - its incumbent on him to keep himself, and his dog, off your property.

 

[Banana01]

You have to secure your fence. Fix all the holes, install barbed wire, or whatever to keep the dog out. Maybe you can get him for property damage if he breaks in after that.

 

[RooStar Chicken Gang]

The way he says, he doesn't want his dog to attack Ur birds but then also says his dog is trained not too is conflicting and just sounds like he is worried his dog will hurt Ur birds n he will get in trouble for it so by him saying his trained it not to kinda takes the blame/worry/anxiety off him, in his mind this is a coping mechanisms even though it doesn't make sense. It's possibly his way of saying if this happens it's not my fault, because I'm worried. It's possibly him showing U his fears. So maybe try reassure him everything is ok and he may leave u alone about.

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

Same, never going back city/suburbs, humanity is completely insane, there are cows all around here too, none are mine though.. I very rarely even go into town, the country town that is.. I shop at night when the stores have very little to no one there, I avoid society as much as possible now.

 

[JeromeY]

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

Pay him no mind. I’m not from the area but if you’re sure of your zoning laws he can’t touch you. You COULD flip the script but why stoop to his level... not saying you will and are but, if his dog is off leash a lot I RECOMMEND you predator proof your coops. I’ve lost 2 flocks to dogs. Dogs will be dogs... some people say euthanize them but why... it’s in their nature and they don’t know better. Sure you can train them not to but not everyone owns poultry. If it does manage to bust through your fence you could possibly press charges for each individual chicken especially if it’s a source of income, again up to you.(I don’t know how your laws in NY work but I’ve seen some people do it in CA) anyways don’t over think it, you seem knowledgeable about your laws. Sorry if grammars all over the place I’m tired haha. Good luck!

 

[Tonyroo]

Take a breather, his antics is not your problem, and don't let him effect you. I would just ignore him, he sounds like an butt for creating nonsense. Especially when it came out of the blue.

 

[Smileybans]

The most the zoning laws for the village say about poultry is that they’re categorized as livestock. The zoning laws were created in 2007. I didn’t realize they were that new. But the right to farm law was enacted in 2001. So I think the zoning laws don’t mention agriculture that much because we are a farming community. The right to farm law is in effect here.

I have already told him that if my chickens are on his property and his dog gets them he’s at no fault. That’s my fault. I told him that before any of this happened. I know there’s so many laws in NYS to protect farmers but this just has me so rattled. I actually found a plan for my county that protects agriculture, the agriculture and farmland protection plan. In it it specifies what qualifies as agriculture and small farms, hobby ones included, count. Even finding that doesn’t make me feel much better. This guy knows so many people in town and I feel like if he really wanted to he could work the system.

But you guys are right. I need to relax and just breathe. I just don’t want to lose my chickens because this guy turned into an idiot. To him my chickens are stupid and shouldn’t be named. To me they’re a source of relaxation, entertainment and now income. He’s taken away one of those things and is trying to take away the others. Thank you all for your advice and kind words. It’s helped a lot. I will be reinforcing the fence and making sure no one can get out or in.

 

[cassie]

If he is a drunk, it isn't going to matter what you do or do not do, he is going to find fault. Try to avoid him as much as possible and do not interact with him any more than you absolutely have to.

 

[rayrose]

Hire a lawyer to do the proper research, in order to validate your
conclusions. If the lawyer's research supports your findings, send
him a certified letter warning him of your rights and what action you
will take against him, if he violates them. Furthermore, it's none of
business, if you name your chickens. You have to call his bluff and
shut him up.

 

[HorsesRMe123]

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.

This makes me frustrated at how someone can be so unfair. You are not at all in the wrong here. Don’t blame yourself. You’re most certainly right, it is ABSOLUTELY none of his business. You are doing everything right following all laws. If his dog kills your chickens, he’s in the wrong and could get in trouble by the law for not keeping his dog on his property and for killing someone else’s animals. He’s mad because you’ve named your chickens? That’s completely absurd. Your animals, you get to do what you want with them. It’s none of his business.

I’ve dealt with people who like to get in my business and it’s frustrates me that people can’t just live their own life, they have to go peak into everyone else’s life. When someone tries to get into my business, I just make it a short and simple yet kind sentence and leave it at that. When you’re kind people leave you alone. All I’d say is, “the chicks are gone and there’s nothing to worry about ”. Or you could say, “it’s none of your business.” But people usually seem to retaliate to that kind of stuff. But you’re not in the wrong at all. Keep doing what you’re doing and ignore him like he’s not even there.