Neighbor's chickens

[Tired old Rooster]

What a coincidence. Right now I am working on disciplining a little boy who moved here from Buenos Aires. I am glad you posted this because it calmed me.

I suggest learning to slaughter poultry. There are many threads that will help here. Your neighbor might be a boon in your culinary needs.

Also, if anyone has a good recipe for a 29 yearold hippy from Buenos Aires, it would be useful. i no longer get suggestions from my old friend Hannibal, such a shame.

 

[britinpa]

I'm not certain where you are in central PA, but I'd go to your zoning and county code. The keywords you want to search for are "at large".

First, find out what you are legally able to do. That will help answer what you should do.

Which, I suspect, is different from what I would do. Different flocks, different needs, different zoning.

We really don't want to create a bad situation, but I just don't understand people though that do this. If ours were free ranged and we knew they were being a nuisance to the neighbors we would do something about it.

 

[swamphiker]

We have been polite, as it's really not worth creating a hostile situation. My husband did let him know we're not happy with them coming around our house. He also warned him that they may start disappearing because of predators. They are the brightest white chickens, so not much camouflage. The people who live on the other side of him also have chickens, and they shot a raccoon in daylight last weekend that was snooping around their chickens. I think they're catching our drift, but are not intending to do anything about it - that's why we said we may as well keep the eggs.

Well that is unfortunate and annoying. I imagine that predators will start picking them off before too long, which would be at least a temporary solution. I can't imagine subjecting my neighbors to my chickens' poop and garden-digging, I'm sorry your neighbors don't see it that way.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

I just realized that I was this neighbor once...sort of. My Turkens used to have the run of the backyard and would hop over the fence into the neighbor's garden. Sometimes I wouldn't know and the neighbors would politely lob them back over but usually I would run over in an apologetic panic and retrieve them. Eventually I stopped it but I'm sure my very lovely neighbors were very annoyed for a while there

 

[Tired old Rooster]

My advice is do not back off an inch. You are being a nice person. End it there. If your neighbor is not nice, do not be nice.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

We really don't want to create a bad situation, but I just don't understand people though that do this. If ours were free ranged and we knew they were being a nuisance to the neighbors we would do something about it.

I don't want a bad situation created for you.

But if you first know what you are legally able to do, you can better judge what you want to do with reference to community standards - and be fully prepared to respond if your neighbor decides to try and create a bad situation for you.

In my case, I can do anything I damn well please with animals at large on my property, including "taking" them, unless they are collared and tagged. Even then I can "take" them if they are destroying livestock.

"Take" in this case runs the gamut from capture to kill. or turn over to animal control. or sell at county auction and send the bill to the owner.

I *doubt* your statute allows you such wide latitude, but I maintain an NPIP certified clean closed flock - a violation of biosecurity on my property is a risk to the health of my flock (seen in my sig, below), and can cost me my certification, upon which my business is partially based - so my response is likely somewhat more severe than yours would be. Whatever you decide to do, best it be done w/i the four corners of local law - I recommend that you find out what that be. In my experience, the section of code covering animals "at large" is where you are likely to find that.

As I said, different flocks, different zoning, different needs.

 

[LaFleche]

We really don't want to create a bad situation,

It is your neighbour's inconsiderate behaviour that already did create a bad situation, and obviously they don't care for your rights or feelings about it, as they continue to ignore their responsibilities as neighbours and animal owners.

Maybe sending them the bill for any of the destroyed plants and other items or consequently needed gardener and cleaning services for pooped on garden lounge chair cushions etc. etc. might help them see the light.