Neighbor's Chickens Trying to Join My Flock

[get set]

Thank you @BrooksHatlen and @3KillerBs for the advice. I'd first like to try and reason with them tactfully--I do believe if they truly know their hens are starving they wouldn't want that (they just are skeptical of my advice, like they were about ventilation lol). I think they believe chickens are tougher than they are--and they ARE tough, but they do need basics. When I went to close up my run I had to carry some of their chickens out, and some have really prominent keel bones I'm wondering if worms are also a problem.

I have been giving them some feed to supplement but we've been running through it like crazy now--they REALLY EAT. I also always leave water out. I'm not sure how my husband would feel about feeding them regularly because we may end up with all 12 of them and the turkeys down here on our much smaller property, but that's something I've been quietly thinking about. Let me know if you have any ideas on tactful breaching of the topic.

Thanks again for responding!

If the other chickens stay at your place, they become yours. Your feed, your eggs. It seems the people are not into the farm thing. Losing eggs may get them to really think about their priorities.

 

[Weeg]

Okay, crazy idea.
You steal the chickens for a few days. All of them.
Then ask the owners were their chickens went.
Help them look, can't find them, nothing.
Then you take an axe to the coop, and help them patch it with hardware cloth.
Then tell them your afraid the chickens may have gotten eaten by the bear that attacked the coop, so they should put free choice feed out and see if they come back. Let the chickens go, and they come running back. Tell them you found them all the way down the street, and that someone was feeding them, thats why they didn't come back.
So the only way to keep them at the house and get eggs, would be to give them free choice feed, and if they keep running away they will get eaten. They don't do it, take them again.
Then, they finally decide to lock them up and feed free choice feed. Plus, you've already taken and axe to the coop to be the "bear", so ventilation isn't a problem anymore! Yay!
Just kidding! Lol! Thought I would make you laugh!

 

[Chickadee64]

Oh dear, what a moral dilemma you have in your hands. I hope that your 'talk' goes well and they see reason. You shouldn't have to pay for their chooks food too, that is not on. I'm sure if you could afford double the feed, you'd have double the chooks yourself. I'll keep everything crossed for you because it sounds like the last thing you want is to damage the lovely relationship you have with them.

 

[parvani]

I know what I'd do. I'd build another coop & run and allow the skinny chickens to move in. I'd keep the coop well supplied with feed and fresh water, and tell the neighbors their chickens have moved into my new coop and won't leave -- Do they want to come get them back?

So then the neighbors have to fetch their own chickens and figure out how to prevent them from "free-ranging" back to your coop.

Because you know that if the choice is left to the birds, they'll stay in the home where their needs are met.

I wouldn't tell the neighbors to feed their birds more. I'd just say that their birds love me because I feed them.

As long as they think they're taking advantage of you, those neighbors will continue to do so. But if they start to feel that they way they feed their birds (not enough) is allowing YOU to get the advantage over THEM -- that their chickens are giving YOU their eggs! -- they will need to put a stop to it.

They aren't just "proud" -- they're narcissists. They won't stand for being anything less than top dog... And that includes with their chickens. They will need to prove that their chickens belong to them.

By the way, I know EXACTLY where they got the idea to let chickens "free range" without supplemental food or water -- check out this horrible thread on Survivalistboards.

https://www.survivalistboards.com/threads/youre-doing-chickens-wrong.963280/

 

[Isellsilkies]

I know what I'd do. I'd build another coop & run and allow the skinny chickens to move in. I'd keep the coop well supplied with feed and fresh water, and tell the neighbors their chickens have moved into my new coop and won't leave -- Do they want to come get them back?

So then the neighbors have to fetch their own chickens and figure out how to prevent them from "free-ranging" back to your coop.

Because you know that if the choice is left to the birds, they'll stay in the home where their needs are met.

I wouldn't tell the neighbors to feed their birds more. I'd just say that their birds love me because I feed them.

As long as they think they're taking advantage of you, those neighbors will continue to do so. But if they start to feel that they way they feed their birds (not enough) is allowing YOU to get the advantage over THEM -- that their chickens are giving YOU their eggs! -- they will need to put a stop to it.

They aren't just "proud" -- they're narcissists. They won't stand for being anything less than top dog... And that includes with their chickens. They will need to prove that their chickens belong to them.

By the way, I know EXACTLY where they got the idea to let chickens "free range" without supplemental food or water -- check out this horrible thread on Survivalistboards.

https://www.survivalistboards.com/threads/youre-doing-chickens-wrong.963280/

Except he said he had a problem with buying all the food for them and he can’t keep doing it

 

[parvani]

Except he said he had a problem with buying all the food for them and he can’t keep doing it

She IS buying food for them and she will continue to do so until the neighbor takes responsibility.

And the only way to get a narcissist to take charge is to convince them that they are losing something. They will NEVER feed their chickens adequately if they are simply asked to do so. They don't care about their chickens. If they cared, they'd make sure there was fresh water, which costs next to nothing.

So the OP will never convince them to love those poor birds, because they aren't capable of that. But if the neighbors become convinced that they will LOSE the birds they "own", that's another matter entirely.

So the OP needs to convince them that they are losing their birds... and their eggs. Which shouldn't be too hard to do, since that's what is happening.

All she really needs to do is stop returning the birds to their own yard.

 

[BDutch]

Imo its stupid to try to change anything on the neighbors premises. Even such hilarious bear plan to provide a better accommodation for the chickens. Interfering in someone else’s setup in such way can lead to a really unwanted situation.
OP you want them to take you serious and listen to you’re advises because you know better, don’t you? Then don’t do anything stupid to undermine their thrust in you’re good intentions.

 

[JCaseyHammond]

They are well to do, so it's not about money (lots of vacationing, expensive toys, etc.). I think they just like the idea of having chickens on their lawn as an aesthetic thing/lifestyle thing but don't actually put much thought into them. I know they like the idea of have "wild" tough birds that live off the land.

I knew it! Ok, I’d rather not post angry comments and emojis about people who keep animals out of a selfish need for status symbols, rather than out of a desire to feed themselves and their community.

I will share how I handled similar situations successfully with someone else’s ducks that ate all my chicken feed.

1. Document how the neighbors’ animals are trespassing on your property, including thin breast as proof of starvation.

2. Offer to buy the offending birds ($6 each auction price) with the firm understanding that you will not be giving them back and you are free to dispose of them as you wish.

Videos and photos are admissible in court (neglect). However, this need not be escalated to court.

Just my $0.02

 

[JCaseyHammond]

She IS buying food for them and she will continue to do so until the neighbor takes responsibility.

And the only way to get a narcissist to take charge is to convince them that they are losing something. They will NEVER feed their chickens adequately if they are simply asked to do so. They don't care about their chickens. If they cared, they'd make sure there was fresh water, which costs next to nothing.

So the OP will never convince them to love those poor birds, because they aren't capable of that. But if the neighbors become convinced that they will LOSE the birds they "own", that's another matter entirely.

So the OP needs to convince them that they are losing their birds... and their eggs. Which shouldn't be too hard to do, since that's what is happening.

All she really needs to do is stop returning the birds to their own yard.

Please look at my recommendation how to to this.

 

[JCaseyHammond]

I know what I'd do. I'd build another coop & run and allow the skinny chickens to move in. I'd keep the coop well supplied with feed and fresh water, and tell the neighbors their chickens have moved into my new coop and won't leave -- Do they want to come get them back?

So then the neighbors have to fetch their own chickens and figure out how to prevent them from "free-ranging" back to your coop.

Because you know that if the choice is left to the birds, they'll stay in the home where their needs are met.

I wouldn't tell the neighbors to feed their birds more. I'd just say that their birds love me because I feed them.

As long as they think they're taking advantage of you, those neighbors will continue to do so. But if they start to feel that they way they feed their birds (not enough) is allowing YOU to get the advantage over THEM -- that their chickens are giving YOU their eggs! -- they will need to put a stop to it.

They aren't just "proud" -- they're narcissists. They won't stand for being anything less than top dog... And that includes with their chickens. They will need to prove that their chickens belong to them.

By the way, I know EXACTLY where they got the idea to let chickens "free range" without supplemental food or water -- check out this horrible thread on Survivalistboards.

https://www.survivalistboards.com/threads/youre-doing-chickens-wrong.963280/

I skimmed enough of that article to see that their idea of “free-ranging” is dependent upon substantial acreage that backs up to forest. So I say it does not apply to people without those resources. Also, you have to give substantial amounts of food to layer breeds. They are not genetically designed to thrive on game bird scratch (nutritional deficiencies) and lawn (scratch it into a wasteland) alone. Just my $0.02