neighbors chickens eatting my veggie garden

[tn-chickie]

hi
i hope someone can help my neighbor 2 house down lets his chickens free range and they have gone to the house between us garden ate all the tomatoes and destroyed the plants, now they have come in my garden destroying my plants and eatting all my tomatoes the 1 woman talked with him he said he was catching them we left our beagle out that nite as she runs everything from our garden but decided last nite to let her stay in since the fireworks scare her and the chickens ate more tomatoes we have a 2acre garden so fencing for us is not a option the the neighbor got smart with my husband about telling him well we never had them in our yard till 2 days ago the neighbor between well they have poop on porch and cars and trucks its horrible.
is there anything that can be done i have plastic bags hanging but they are still eatting the fruit we live in the country so calling sherif is no good. i dont want to teach my dogs to chase them since i have chickens but mine are in a fenced area and cant get out and i know that it was theres since we caught then in garden
PLEASE HELP

 

[chiqita]

Catch the chickens and don't return them if the neighbor won't take responsibility for keeping his birds on his property.

 

[tn-chickie]

ive been thinking of sleeping in the garden with a net

 

[lazy gardener]

hi
i hope someone can help my neighbor 2 house down lets his chickens free range and they have gone to the house between us garden ate all the tomatoes and destroyed the plants, now they have come in my garden destroying my plants and eatting all my tomatoes the 1 woman talked with him he said he was catching them we left our beagle out that nite as she runs everything from our garden but decided last nite to let her stay in since the fireworks scare her and the chickens ate more tomatoes we have a 2acre garden so fencing for us is not a option the the neighbor got smart with my husband about telling him well we never had them in our yard till 2 days ago the neighbor between well they have poop on porch and cars and trucks its horrible.
is there anything that can be done i have plastic bags hanging but they are still eatting the fruit we live in the country so calling sherif is no good. i dont want to teach my dogs to chase them since i have chickens but mine are in a fenced area and cant get out and i know that it was theres since we caught then in garden
PLEASE HELP

Every town has an animal control officer. No one should put up with other peoples pets destroying their property. You've done the responsible thing by talking with the neighbor, and you've been rebuffed. I'd call animal control and see what your options are. If a nuisance animal is destroying your garden, you might be justified in shooting it. Otherwise, you might catch them and turn them over to animal control, or hold them, or take them to the local animal shelter. In this case, as with most nuisance pet issues, the pet ends up paying the price for the owners stupidity.

 

[nab58]

That's just not right! I'd be really upset if I had chickens myself that I contain so they don't get in my garden and then have the neighbors chickens come ruin my stuff. Catch them and don't give them back.

 

[Cindy in PA]

This is unfortunate, however when is this happening? You seem to say it is being eaten at night & this would not be chickens. Maybe they come early in the morning. Chickens would not be in the garden at night.

 

[appps]

Yeah that's what struck me too, chickens aren't nocturnal. I can't imagine mine raiding gardens at night.

 

[tn-chickie]

yesterday 24 chickens ate what i had left of the tomatoes and my green beans and plants along with the peas 2 shots of the rifle in the ground they were gone i wont kill them i dont want his checkens they are mean and nasty.
the reason i said i would sleep outside was so i was out there as the sun comes up the rooster cockadoodle doos about 4:30 i heard him at 7 went out got the riffle shot 2 shots in the ground they were gone as i stated abovebut not till after they have destroyed the garden (( we dont have animal control just the sheriff and they have told me catch and keep or shoot them if they are on your property and you have told the neighbor about the problem.
he was buiding a pen for the chickens what i originally thought was 24 is 36 and unfortunately like every other time when he cant afford the 250$ food bill he lets them out. looking back last year he had the chickens roaming but this spring a few things changed and this might be why the garden got attacked 1st to save on feeding the chickens he switched and throws exactly 2 cups of hog mesh or what ever that powder is and 32 the neighbor between has been throwing bread out to the chickens so they stick around her house to be fed.yesterday i seen her picking off her destroyed tomatoes and what does she do but instead of throwing in a trash bin she throws them 3 feet from the plants GEEZ I have met dumb and dumber if you dont want them in your garden throw the wasted stuf away.
this morning we had no chickens we heard him last nite going around to gather truthfully when i seen what i did he doesnt need chickens come oon big hens 3 to a 3x3x3Ft cage these are the hens he keeps caged.
i was told we could put electric fence up and it would keep them out has anyone done that to keep chickens contained? we are finally getting the new fence up a horse pasture and we can tie in around garden

 

[tn-chickie]

the beagle staying outside at nite sleeps in the garden and when sun rises she is there chasing them off but i dont want her to do that we just got her broke of chasing chickens but rite now i have no choice i dont want this to become a hatfields and mccoys fued over chickens but in the same sence i have lost now close to 400$ from his chickens

 

[Fred's Hens]

When you have trouble with a neighbor, it is always best to confront them in a friendly way. If that doesn't work, then more drastic steps need to be taken. Destruction of property is an offense that prosecutors will support. The errant birds can be collected by animal control. You can catch them and hold them hostage for damages or simply keep them as strays, I suppose.

For sure, there is no way around this by just talking here, although we're glad you came by with this topic. This must be solved with you and the other neighbor being assertive. The alternative is to do nothing. You will not have a garden ever again, as the neighbor between you will never have a garden as long as the far neighbor continues with their inconsiderate, rude and unacceptable behavior.

Like the ATT commercial says, "It's not complicated". LOL