Neighbor's Chickens Trying to Join My Flock

[Cecisflock]

does each chicken have about 5 acres a piece? I would figure that’s about how much each chicken would need to completely be able to free range every day with only 2 tablespoons of f

WOW! that is so crazy to me! I'll make a note lol

 

[buffy-the-eggpile-layer]

Wow, I just read through this thread.
I want to start by staying your are doing an amazing job! You are 100% not getting overly concerned about this, you are doing everything right. This what the true spirit of BYC is about! Not all people would do what you are doing, you seem to care about animals so much, and thesis chickens are surviving off of you, you are keeping them alive. Fantastic job!
I have had similar experiences with good friends of mine for the same idea, same doesn't want to listen, or more just gets offended really easily, and then avoids the situation. It was a friend of mine who wasn't helping take care of her horse, and since she kept her with me, I was doing a lot of the work.
Now, I have noticed that being firm and getting mad, (which I have in my situation when the discussion seemed to be going in one ear and out the other) doesn't work. It sours the relationship.
What has worked for me is what I call sucking up. The biggest reason people down listen is because they think your calling them back animal keepers. I like to start my statements with the sentence, " Your doing a great job" or " Your doign the best you can" or " You have really good intentions, and I don't think your doing a bad job, but...". Then, I find they aren't always as defensive. You can also include, " I really want to help out with this, but I don't want to do it all myself." Offer help and support, and even if you down think they're doing a good job, say they are. I find that its all, about, wording. If you can keep them from getting defensive, they're more likely to want to listen.
After that, pictures, videos, keel bones, articles are all great suggestions. I really hope you can work this out, and I also agree that authorities are not the best way to go. That leads to diffusive neighbors, and that doesn't' help the situation.
Remember your doing an amazing job, just keep you it up, and you got this! Good luck, and so sorry your in this situation.

I really appreciate your kind advice and encouragement (and great ideas for rhetorically massaging my approach so it comes off less off-putting). It's nice to know I'm not alone in struggling with this sort of thing... my heart for animals outweighs my people skills when advocating for them lol. Or at least, it tends to fall on selectively deaf ears.

Anyway I want to be diplomatic and help the chickens thrive best I can. I'll keep everyone posted!

 

[SurferchickinSB]

WOW! that is so crazy to me! I'll make a note lol

It seems like that’s a lot of acreage, but not really, because over a year a couple of chickens can probably demolish an acre to just dirt, if they are just trying to forage for all their food, aside from 2 tablespoons a day

 

[SurferchickinSB]

I really appreciate your kind advice and encouragement (and great ideas for rhetorically massaging my approach so it comes off less off-putting). It's nice to know I'm not alone in struggling with this sort of thing... my heart for animals outweighs my people skills when advocating for them lol. Or at least, it tends to fall on selectively deaf ears.

Anyway I want to be diplomatic and help the chickens thrive best I can. I'll keep everyone posted!

I am the same way, my people skills get put aside when I am trying to stick up for animals! I worry about animals and that worrying gets me really angry, so I have found sometimes the best way to communicate is just through texting on my phone to my neighbors and sending a couple pictures or two that way I can read over my text and edit it, so it doesn’t show how angry I am!

 

[buffy-the-eggpile-layer]

If my limited experience and reading is correct, couldn’t the limited feeding be successful if the lower tier chickens are offered a separate area for feed?

Why not suggest that and use the recent behaviour change of their chickens as the reason?

An alternative, offering some moral questions, would be to simply incorporate the low tier hens into your own flock and then wait until they notice, offering the opening to being up the subject.


Most of my work life has been in adversarial or regulatory environments wherein the subject was generally not happy to be there. I learned to be direct, but also look for ways to make them comfortable based on my read of them. Allowing someone to save face is proper in most cultures. These folks probably don’t know what’s actually going on, and I would look for a way to help them.

Thank you for your thoughtful advice. I agree that as agitated as I get over the situation I truly don't think they're aware, so it's about making them aware without coming off judgmental (but also being effective in persuading them!). The first thing I thought when I found out they were limiting feed was that the lower rung girls are likely getting none (I've talked to them about bullying before but they said their flock doesn't bully, even though they're never home to observe). I want to suggest multiple feeders and more feed, and I was gonna tell them I know because I learned the hard way--our bottom rung hens weren't getting access to enough feed so we ended up using threw feeders for 8 hens.

 

[buffy-the-eggpile-layer]

There is a thread we’re a 100% free range diet worked, but you need acres and acres of property, and you have to raise them to know to forage.
here’s the thread, Mayer you could inform them on why it doesn’t work in their situation as well, not enough acreage, and other reasons. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/successful-100-forage-diet-experiment-long-post.1435544/

Thank you for this resource!

 

[buffy-the-eggpile-layer]

I was overwhelmed at first too, all the info on correct balance of greens and browns and ratios... But that is more for completing your compost as quickly as possible. If your goal is feeding chickens with bugs it isn't as important It is easiest to start your pile somewhat contained with a chicken wire and T-post frame, pallet corral or something similar.
Just start throwing in plant based kitchen scraps(chopped into pieces is best), pine shavings if you use them in your coop and chicken poop. Add enough water so it stays damp, similar to a wrung out sponge. Horse manure makes amazing compost if you have access to it. The main thing is to keep it slightly damp so the worms move in. They will leave if it starts drying out. Once it gets some volume, I remove the wire frame and let the chickens start digging through for worms and bugs. I then set up the frame again and fill it up with the demolished pile so it starts composting again.
Added a photo - my daughter adopted a horse so we now have very large piles!

This is amazing... thank you! you make it sound so simple! We don't have horses around but plenty of "Llama beans"... and "black gold" of course. Not sure if that's as good as horse manure. And hey, congrats in the horse adoption, how sweet!

 

[buffy-the-eggpile-layer]

When you explain the situation, since you are feeding them anyway, can you ask them if they would be willing to hire your services to take care of their flock since you know how busy they are yadda yadda.? Add in the cost of the food.

At this point I do feel I should be on payroll lol. This is the underside of working from home: I'm achingly aware of all the neighborhood problems

 

[buffy-the-eggpile-layer]

You are in a tough spot. Obviously you care about these animals but you want to stay on good terms with your neighbors.
Maybe you should copy this thread and give it to them to read. I'm sure they will fell defensive and a little angry but if they really are the sort that you think they are, they'll realize that they are starving their flock. They might even gift you their chickens if you offer to share eggs. They apparently don't have time for them.

I fantasize about adopting them and then my own chickens look at me like "are you crazy, lady? We're at capacity." But yes, this thread is a treasure trove and I'm certainly tucking it away in my friendly arsenal.

 

[buffy-the-eggpile-layer]

Exactly. Whereas if it's corn, or yogurt, or scraps, they go crazy. Even in the morning when they haven't eaten at night, they just eat fast, not too frenzied.

If my chickens were running to my neighbour and eating all their food and were thin and malnourished, I would listen to my neighbour, apologise for the food, start feeding my chickens properly and offer to fence them in. It's not that tricky, though I'm gonna stop now so it doesn't become another ranting thread.

Thank you... if only everyone thought like you--the world would be a better place. And yeah, I really knew it was an issue when their chickens started vacuuming up the leftover feed dust that my own chickens won't touch.