Neighbor's Chickens Trying to Join My Flock

[Weeg]

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.

 

[Weeg]

Compost is a great idea as well! You got this OP! Those chickens really appreciate you right now!

 

[MildlyOffensiveChicken]

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.

 

[RubelliteRose]

We have been planning on it, but I was overwhelmed with info about getting started and keep putting it off. We do have room, I believe. What are your pointers for composting? How did you start?

Thanks for the kind words.

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!

 

[SulkyBantam]

This is great to know and exactly the thing I was looking for. I had an inkling they'll eat only as much feed as they need and otherwise would prefer free ranging--but I wasn't 100% on that. The way they attacked the feeders made me feel they NEEDED it. And when I let mine free range they could care less about the feed/run, that's why they don't blink (most of the time) when the neighbor's hens storm it. Thank you!

Chickens go a bit food-mad for 2 reasons in my experience:
1. It's a treat and tasty
2. they're hungry.

My chickens don't free range exactly, but I have done so in the past and at the moment they have a very large open run with trees, bushes, grass, etc.
In the morning, they'll eat food quick because I take it away at night, but throughout the day, with access to forage, they just nibble occasionally, no frenzies.

So if they're going into frenzy just if they see some regular food, they are very hungry.


I was also wondering about what else the girls have. Do the neighbours give them calcium? Do they have access to fresh water constantly?

Thank you again for being so compassionate. The world needs more people like you.

 

[SurferchickinSB]

Chickens go a bit food-mad for 2 reasons in my experience:
1. It's a treat and tasty
2. they're hungry.

My chickens don't free range exactly, but I have done so in the past and at the moment they have a very large open run with trees, bushes, grass, etc.
In the morning, they'll eat food quick because I take it away at night, but throughout the day, with access to forage, they just nibble occasionally, no frenzies.

So if they're going into frenzy just if they see some regular food, they are very hungry.


I was also wondering about what else the girls have. Do the neighbours give them calcium? Do they have access to fresh water constantly?

Thank you again for being so compassionate. The world needs more people like you.

I totally agree! If I went out there to give my chickens a handful of layer feed, they would come running to me, but then look what I had in my hand like I was crazy, LOL!

 

[SulkyBantam]

I totally agree! If I went out there to give my chickens a handful of layer feed, they would come running to me, but then look what I had in my hand like I was crazy, LOL!

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.

 

[SurferchickinSB]

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.

To the OP, let us all know how it goes!

 

[janiedoe]

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.

 

[Ginmary]

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.