Neighbor's Chickens Trying to Join My Flock

[buffy-the-eggpile-layer]

I'm hoping so, too!

My feeling is once the weather warms up and bugs come out and grass is growing this won't be quite the same issue it is right now at the tail end of winter.

 

[buffy-the-eggpile-layer]

I think it’s important to phrase this issue in terms that would resonate with your neighbors. Are they trying to save money by having the girls free range? If so, then raising the point that their chickens are “robbing” you might be something that they can understand. You can take a video of them gobbling down your feed and say something along the lines of, “Look, I really like your chickens and all, but they’re getting into my run and eating our feed. I’m not sure where else they’ve been able to forage, but they’ve decided that my feeders are the best place to get a meal and they’re eating a lot. I worry what will happen if your whole flock discovers where these few have been going. I don’t mind feeding them, but would you mind reimbursing me for the cost of the food?”
If they aren’t willing to pay you back, then you could suggest that they need to come up with a better way to keep their chickens out of your feed. You can always play a little dumb and say, “I don’t know if it would help, but (insert something about spreading the feed out so all chickens can get to it equally, trying to feed them more just to see if it would keep them closer to home, etc)
If you have a good relationship with them, then tell them that! “Hey, I’m really glad that you guys are our neighbors and that we’ve been able to get along so well. I don’t want chicken feed to get in the way of that, but at the same time, we can’t afford to feed your flock and ours.”
Just some thoughts, good luck! That’s a tough situation to be in.

Thank you for the thoughtful ideas! Your phrasing is helpful for our brainstorming sessions over here. I think we're going to try this in person next time we happen to chat, so it is less like an intervention or something.

 

[buffy-the-eggpile-layer]

What if these birds have a disease and give it to the OP's chickens. Lice, mites etc also.

I do worry about this. But I also have no idea how to manage biosecurity when they have always been all over our lawn from the beginning. I just take the best care I can of my girls and try to keep ahead of any issues.

 

[buffy-the-eggpile-layer]

Yes, but OP has said that the feed is too expensive for her.

Feeding basically a whole new flock doesn't seem fair- they're not hers, she won't get any eggs from them.

I'm not saying they shouldn't be fed, because I'm very sad that the neighbours don't seem to care about them, but I can see that OP can't be expected to take on a whole new flock for who knows how long.

Talking to them is surely worth trying.

Thank you. We plan to do the good old fashioned in-person talk when it is opportune. In the meantime I'll try to supplement the girls best I can with what I have.

 

[buffy-the-eggpile-layer]

This is easy to say, but are you willing to cut the OP a check to pay for it?

I personally don't see how enabling the neighbor's bad behavior does anything but make it more likely that the bad behavior will continue.

I get this, too. This is my husband's perspective; I understand it but I'm also unable to not intervene in some way. So, we will have the conversation and see what happens from there. In the meantime, I can't not feed them if they seem starved--though I'm hoping with spring sprouting up they will get a little less desperate soon.

 

[CJLR]

I'm going to try this. They are a bit wary of anything "new" because I don't think they were exposed to much beyond feed and what they've been eating in the lawn (ex. they won't eat grapes or red cabbage, which my girls go crazy for). They will eat TONS of feed though.. they eat so fast they are sneezing and coughing the whole time (not because they're sick but because they are inhaling it).

Awe poor things they must be really hungry
Have you considered that maybe they don’t have the money for extra feed and are just too prideful to admit it

 

[buffy-the-eggpile-layer]

Start a gofundme page to pay for the extra feed. I would contribute and I'm sure others would, too. Maybe it will embarrass the neighbors into caring for their chickens properly.

This is very sweet and I'm so glad for people like you (and this community) for your mutual support/care for animals and others. I'm thinking I can scrounge up enough BOSS/scratch/extra (cheap) feed to supplement them best I can--though hopefully my conversation with them will end up being fruitful enough that I no longer need to do so.

 

[buffy-the-eggpile-layer]

Awe poor things they must be really hungry
Have you considered that maybe they don’t have the money for extra feed and are just too prideful to admit it

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.

 

[SulkyBantam]

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.

That's really sad. People should realise that chickens are animals that need care. I hate it that people like the idea of a chicken 'lifestyle' and put no thought into them as creatures.

 

[Jerhanner]

Animal abuse is animal abuse. If you want to have the convo first, by all means.... but the next instant the chickies seem hungry, 1-800-ABUSERS.