Neighbor's chickens are freezing to death...it's really bothering me..

[honeydoll]

Welcome thetajmahalcoop, hope you enjoy BYC as much as I have. Sorry I missed your post about being new.

 

[Barred Rockstar]

If they haven't noticed/cared about their other chickens going missing I don't see why you don't just take care of it yourself. Around here any chickens left to roost outside would be predator food anyway. It's definitely more humane for the roos than freezing to death or being eaten alive by a raccoon. Honestly, it sounds like they're your chickens at this point anyway.

 

[OhMyItsAndyy]

Emzyyy: There "coop" which is just a dog house has no door I wouldn't think. And I am kind of afraid of their rottweilers too. When I'm in their yard it takes every ounce of strength I've got to not run from the charging masses of 200lbs. muscle. I've always had a small fear of rotties. Not sure why, I love dogs but just rotts scare me.

Rott's are actually really friendly when they have an easy time. The only ones you should worry bout are the badley treated ones that turn nasty. My uncle's was bossed around my his CAT!

As for the poor Roo's. I'd just take them. The nice one deffinatly. If you can find him, warm him up, feed him well in isolation etc etc then just add him to your flock?

I doubt your neighbors would notice. And maybe try the same with meanie? Maybe with good treatment he'd become nicer... kinda like the Rotties are nice with good treatment ...

Worth a go i'd say.
And none of their other chickens have slipped in with yours have they?

Oh, and i would also CERTAINLy have a word with the little vegetarian. I myself am a vegetarian and i save EVERYTHING! Even little bugs. I rescued a fly! It lived in a box for a while until it got it's strength back ! (Yeah, i'm wierd)
But if anything was suffereing, i know i could and should end it. And she needs to understand that it's suffering is worse. She doesn;t need to eat it!
She's being cruel that way​

 

[77horses]

Dora'smom :

That 10 year old vegetarian sounds like she needs a lesson in animal cruelty. Maybe she doesn't understand that the birds are freezing to death, and that they, as their masters, are guilty of cruelty, and could be fined/jailed? To bad the neighbors allow the child to influence their decision to the detriment of the animals.

I'm a Vegetarian and even I agree with this. That is just not right. You can't just go and be a Vegetarian for animal's sake, and then let your own animals freeze to death.

It's just wrong!!!

But anyway, if it were me, I wouldn't be able to stand to watch that poor rooster out there. I would put on some thick. protective clothes, boots, and gloves, and go out there during the night and catch him and bring him inside. If you're worried about him being mean, just catch him at night because that way he can't see you and he won't be able to attack you. But he probably will bite to defend himself, so wear gloves. You could catch him and keep him inside your house in a kennel with food and water and keep him there temporarily, and then explain to his owners that he doesn't deserve having to stay outside in the cold and freeze to death, and maybe offer to take him off their hands and give him away to a loving home?


So that's what I would do. Catch them during the night, when they are all sitting in your tree. Use gloves for safety. Bring them in your house and put them in a room in a kennel or big cardboard/plastic box (temporarily). If you are really worried about going over to your neighbor's house, call them instead and explain to them that you're not going to stand by and watch those poor roosters freeze to death (say this as nicely as you can.

) Offer to take them off their hands for free or for a small fee, if they really insist on that. Then, it's your decision to either keep them/some of them to try and train them and teach them to be nice and add them to your flock (it can be done), or sell them/give them away to another loving home.
Lastly, for the remaining chickens, I would definitely call a humane society and explain to them what has been happening and everything.

Good luck!!!! I hope you can get those poor roosters out of the cold.

 

[b.hromada]

I'd feel exactly the same way you do.

Like Sonoran said, could you maybe suggest to your neighbor that you will help him "round them up", so he can coop them for a week or two? that just might do the trick. They sure would love the warmth.

 

[honeydoll]

Oh I know I am going to break down, go out and get pecked to save this poor miserable roo. His lonely crows are killing me. He is only about 7-10ft. off the ground in our small tree. As far as a coop goes, they really don't have one for their chickens it's just a used old dog house. I am not against being vegetarian, I tried it once, but I will probably process him as he may hurt my sissy roo, Speckles (he really is a sissy - sorry Speckles but it's true), and he already split one of my hens combs in half awhile ago. He's rough on my girls. Be that as it may, I hate seeing suffering, PERIOD!!! I just feel like a dishonest theif. His other chickens do not bug me being over here, except when they were freezing. Why won't they just come get this poor thing so I don't have to do this,

. My only hesitation is the moral thing - I feel like I'm stealing but I know they really don't care about him anyway.

 

[honeydoll]

Quote:
Rott's are actually really friendly when they have an easy time. The only ones you should worry bout are the badley treated ones that turn nasty. My uncle's was bossed around my his CAT!

Their dog has never hurt me in any way, just charges barks then walks away. I have pet it before but I know he senses my fear and is dominant around me which then scares me more and then he becomes more dominant. I, for some reason, just cannot get over this fear, what's wierd is I love dogs and have never had a bad experience with rott. I have a deep appreciation for nature too, even bugs. I eat meat but I still have a deep love and admiration for nature.

 

[darbella]

Seems to me they are hoping you keep the bird. They do not seem to care that the others are missing do they? Have they come looking for him or the others? If the answer is NO...then there you have it, do what you must and remember "You know nothing"...I get the feeling they are hoping he is going to die because he is a roo and because he is mean. Maybe the novelty of chickens wore of with miss young veggie girl and they let the chickens fend for themselves secretly hoping they would "dissapear".

 

[honeydoll]

Quote:
You know that is a good point. You may have hit the nail on the head with that. The novelty wore off and they don't have the heart to kill him but hope he just dies. Maybe they are kind of hoping he stays here. I can only guess at that, but it is kind of funny they never come to check on them and his birds are here all the time. I don't think this roo left our side yard today, not even to eat or drink. I throw scraps for him and he won't even come get them now, he is probably getting weak. Ugh!!!

 

[AHappychick]

can you stack some bales of hay out there where there is a place in the center that they could seek shelter maye 2 bales on either side with a plywood roof? maybe an old plastic dog house on craigs list in the free section?