Neighbor's Dogs Killed 18 Chickens

[FrankHomestead]

I keep trying to put myself in your position and "an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind" keeps echoing in my head....
But, nope...the man's behavior would have pushed me off the edge. I wouldn't hurt the dogs...but I would make sure I repaid the damage in one way or another. Vindictive? Maybe. Spiteful? Definitely.

 

[jvls1942]

it's not a matter of being spiteful, vindictive, or mean.
the man with dogs should step up to the plate and make things right.
I am quite certain that the pit bull is his "baby".. it makes up for the guts that he is lacking..
the dogs are his responsibility and he should man up to it..
just for good measure, I'll wager that he also has a permit to carry..
....jiminwisc.....

 

[Folly's place]

They are a sad pair; she cries, and he hides. No actual money brought to the meeting. Not how it should happen, at all! Mary

 

[Chickassan]

This is awful. Cheers to you for not doing what I would have done. Just know it always comes back around if they do end up doing you dirty.

 

[smudge]

Take it to small claims court where you are.
Base your estimate on the fair market value of those specific breeds at that age were at the time of death. You can look at Craigs list, but it's also worth checking out local Agway/TSC/hatcheries. A laying hen is worth a lot more than a chick!
Be heartless. Serve them by publication (or whatever alternative service is available) if necessary, i.e. if they don't leave a forwarding address.
If they don't show up in court, you could win by default.

Of course, the problem is not getting the judgement, but collecting.

 

[FrankHomestead]

it's not a matter of being spiteful, vindictive, or mean.
the man with dogs should step up to the plate and make things right.
I am quite certain that the pit bull is his "baby".. it makes up for the guts that he is lacking..
the dogs are his responsibility and he should man up to it..
just for good measure, I'll wager that he also has a permit to carry..
....jiminwisc.....

I completely agree. Aggressive dogs to make up for his own short comings. obviously he is a coward being he couldn't face the people his animals devastated.
Not saying the dogs are aggressive because of breed, so ppl spare me that argument. I'm saying they are aggressive because of their malicious intent toward a small animal.
My dogs are a mix of black lab, pit bull and new found land. They are becoming quite the good dog. Aside from the annoying puppy destruction, they "speak when spoken to" type of dogs so far. They are about 6 month's females (sisters) and are eager to please...lab trait I love. pit trait too if raised by the right person. I know nothing of new found land. I am a bit tough on my pups but that's because I want to raise great dogs. So many ppl are lenient on pups because they're babies but you need to gain control now because by the time they're full grown they are that much bigger to control and that much more stubborn.

 

[TalkALittle]

I completely agree. Aggressive dogs to make up for his own short comings. obviously he is a coward being he couldn't face the people his animals devastated.
Not saying the dogs are aggressive because of breed, so ppl spare me that argument. I'm saying they are aggressive because of their malicious intent toward a small animal.
My dogs are a mix of black lab, pit bull and new found land. They are becoming quite the good dog. Aside from the annoying puppy destruction, they "speak when spoken to" type of dogs so far. They are about 6 month's females (sisters) and are eager to please...lab trait I love. pit trait too if raised by the right person. I know nothing of new found land. I am a bit tough on my pups but that's because I want to raise great dogs. So many ppl are lenient on pups because they're babies but you need to gain control now because by the time they're full grown they are that much bigger to control and that much more stubborn.

Let's not confuse prey drive with aggression, folks.

 

[BlueBaby]

I cant believe that a dog killed 17 chickens that is so terrible!

Yes, it does happen. One of my next door neighbors just had 20 hens and 5 chicks killed by 2 dog's of another neighbors. The dogs were 1/2 starved, and were eating the chickens that they were killing. The only reason why the 2 roosters lived that they had is because they had been penned up, and were not out free-ranging with the hens and chicks.

 

[song of joy]

With regard to compensation, here are a few thoughts:

For me, biosecurity is a big deal, so I would not even consider purchasing replacement pullets. There's just too much risk of bringing in someone else's diseases and jeopardizing my whole flock. That being said, the cost of a POL pullet is not relevant, as it's not an option. In this scenario, the only option is to start over with eggs or chicks from a NPIP hatchery or breeder. The replacement (compensatory) cost is then: 1) the cost of the chicks (plus shipping), 2) the cost of feed to get them to POL, and 3) the cost of losing one year of egg production per hen.

You can use average, 1st-year egg production for the breeds in question (I've seen this in several poultry books and online) to figure out how many dozen eggs you've lost per hen. Then multiply this by the going rate for eggs in your area.

 

[The Moonshiner]

With regard to compensation, here are a few thoughts:

For me, biosecurity is a big deal, so I would not even consider purchasing replacement pullets. There's just too much risk of bringing in someone else's diseases and jeopardizing my whole flock. That being said, the cost of a POL pullet is not relevant, as it's not an option. In this scenario, the only option is to start over with eggs or chicks from a NPIP hatchery or breeder. The replacement (compensatory) cost is then: 1) the cost of the chicks (plus shipping), 2) the cost of feed to get them to POL, and 3) the cost of losing one year of egg production per hen.

You can use average, 1st-year egg production for the breeds in question (I've seen this in several poultry books and online) to figure out how many dozen eggs you've lost per hen. Then multiply this by the going rate for eggs in your area.

That's a great argument but courts won't agree. They'll compensate for the POL hens then tell you you can replace them with chicks if you please.