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

[honeydoll]

Hmm...good thought. Could do that. Why won't they go to their own dog house though, why have they adopted us. Crazy chickens know I'm a sucker I bet. I'm screwed!

 

[AHappychick]

just realized they have a dog house as the coop I had not gotten through the first page. sorry about that. how far awy from the birds is this dog house?

in that case if you have some bales of hay try to make something for him over by where they try to already seek shealter and give them food. Discuss these birds with the owners, possibly make a door on the "dog house they have and put them in in for a week until they get used to it but it wont do any good if the neighbors dont care for them.

are they feeding the birds?

 

[honeydoll]

That's the funny thing, the dog house is only about 20 ft. from our tree they, but now only one, roosts in. So I really don't understand why they stay here. They like it here. The roo hates me but likes my home. Go figure.

 

[Hozer]

My neighbors let their chickens run free all last winter with out a coop. All got eaten (mostly by eagles) except one EE hen, Carla. I'm not sure if she was smart or lucky. This spring she was over in my yard most of the time. We would leave her food. I offered to buy her and trade roosters, but they declined. I finally just took her in my coop for the night and would let her out after she laid her egg. I figured if I was feeding her, I will get the egg. Actually I would give my neighbor some of her eggs. They did not think she was laying. My rooster also built her a nest under our spruce tree and she would lay in there when she was free ranging. I am thinking of putting out nest boxes for their chickens in my yard this spring for their latest batch of hens, if any make it. They will probably hide their eggs like last summer, so my neighbors will get some eggs this way.

Carla the chicken is in my coup full time this winter. She looked really rough during her molt this fall, so I took her in. I told them she was at the "spa" for the winter.
I was thinking of leaving an egg with a "run away" note at the neighbors from Carla. They are cool with it and call me a "chicken rustler". I'll pay them off with eggs from time to time.

BTW it is amazing how tough these EE's are. She spent a whole Alaskan winter outside with minimal food and no coup.

 

[honeydoll]

Are you serious. Wow. I keep expecting this ole roo to be dead come morning and nope always alive. He is now only about 5 ft. off the ground on a very low branch sleeping. I could try to grab him and throw him in my garage for the night, it is so cold tonight, but to you Alaskans 10F is probably nothing. He is one tough roo, let me tell you and mean as mean can get.

 

[Hozer]

If it was me, if there are any hens left, I would put up some kind of quick shelter with a heat lamp if possible and leave out food, water, and a roost pole. In other words, just kinda take over. Chickens are going to go where the food is. Obviously, your neighbors are not interested in taking care of them anymore. Mostly, they need enough calories to burn to keep warm and a place to get out of the wind.

As for the rooster...good luck with that one. If he wasn't mean he would be worth saving....I guess. Even if you save him, you have to deal with him beating up your birds.


It's not that cold where I live. It's by the coast. We even have wild pheasants. The winters are long, though.

Oh and btw, I have a couple Marans hens and they are oblivious to the cold. I processed some Marns roosters this fall and I swear they had twice as many feathers as my other breeds. When it is nasty out and there are only a couple of hens out in the run, you can bet it is the Marans. Last month one Marans roosted out in the run for the night while it was snowing. In the morinig she had ice on her back. She was fine...just decided to spend the night out.

 

[honeydoll]

Marans cold hardy huh?. Didn't know that. By the way I posted a humiliating post in the Managing You Flock part it starts stupid chicken if you want to look at it. After you read it you'll wonder if I should have this chicken...

 

[6chickens in St. Charles]

Have you talked with the chicken's owners yet? Rarely, it HAS happened that pets are left unattended because of tragedy to the family. Can you find out if the chicken's family is OK? It just feels strange to me that their pet has been freezing for days and you haven't seen the owner. They may be daft about pet care, true, but its a good enough reason to do a "wellness check" on the family belonging to the freezing pet.

 

[loralei]

Honeydoll,

Earlier I posted that it would be kinder to snuff that mean ol’ roo instead of letting him freeze to death. Well, I am vegetarian. I try to keep my opinions of commercial meat production in check but the problem I have with it is the way animals are treated. The Lord put animals here for us to eat; not to mistreat! I have no problem with small farms raising animals for food production when they are raised and their lives are ended in a humane manner. I have no problem with hunting. I understand that it is necessary for animal population control. I have made an informed choice. I have valuable life experiences that have contributed to my choice. That little 10 yo vegetarian aint got a clue and her parents should be ashamed of themselves for neglecting, at best, their chickens because of their clueless child. Who runs that household anyway… them or their kid? If their kid does then they are also doing her an injustice! Honeydoll, I implore you, please go get that poor ol’ roo and let his suffering end!

Your situation is not an easy one but I know what I would do. I (well not me exactly, but my family) would be enjoying chicken and dumplings tomorrow! And that from a lifelong vegetarian!

God bless,
Laura

 

[honeydoll]

Thanks Loralei, you have such a nice way of writng your posts to be nonjudgemental and still get you point accross. What a nice trait to have. I have tried once tonite to get him and he bit me and squirmed out of my hand, not sure how he did it but he got away. So now I see him in my tree and will give it a try again. My DH is at work and can't help me I think he'll be mad I got involved but he is a good guy and I know he loves me. He'll get over it. He hates seeing the roo suffer too, he's not mean just a guy with a gruff guy way about him.