neighbors flock is destroying our yard!

[laht90]

Hi Everyone!

I'm new here and needing some advice

my husband and I moved a quiet town recently where quite a few houses have chickens. I like them and actually think they are quite cute and (used) to like when they came to pay a visit as they are good pest control and didn't cause any issues at first. We live on a dead end road and our direct neighbors have free range chickens, I have counted 2 roosters and 5 or 6 hens in the flock. our yards are partially fenced in just leaving the fronts open. Over the past 3 weeks we noticed that the flock has been coming over and digging up our yard!! when we first moved in the yard was beautiful (we have about a half acre) and now it is filled with dirt and holes. completely digging up the grass leaving just dirt in huge patches where the grass most likely won't grow back again. Not to mention there is bird poop and feathers everywhere too! We have not spoken to them much but they are nice and we know they really really love their chickens. is there any way to keep them off on our end without having to say something to them? I just don't want to cause any problems or tension over it My husband is getting fed up as we literally watch them out our window digging up the lawn. we walk them out of the yard but they always come back. I reached out to the previous owners of the house to see if they ever had any problems with the chickens in the yard and to maybe get some advice and she said they would come over sometimes but never dug or anything. I'm totally baffled as to why they started doing this recently, we have lived in the house for a few months now and this just started recently. We both work full time and are gone all day mon-fri so we come home every night to our yard slowly becoming a disaster! any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated!

thanks so much

 

[lazy gardener]

I have a few questions for you: What does the neighbor's yard look like? Why is your yard more enticing? More greenery? Are the chickens digging holes to take dust baths, or do they seem to be feasting on bugs? If the latter, they may have cleaned out all the grubs from their lawn, and are now working on yours. No matter the reason, YOU are entitled to enjoy your yard without it being destroyed by the neighbor's animals. No matter what the animal, or the issue it is causing, the owner is responsible for keeping it from becoming a neighborhood pest.

That being said, you have a responsibility also. Your silence in the matter, and even the fact that you might have previously conveyed that you liked chicken visits in the past is an implied consent. It's time for you to man up, and revoke that consent. Have a friendly conversation with the neighbors, and ask them to keep their birds home. It may be something as simple as them putting up a fence across the front of their property. They could even use deer netting which is practically invisible.

A hose with jet stream does a great job of convincing chickens that they need to be some where else.

 

[enola]

After having a polite conversation with the neighbors about keeping their chickens at their home.......

......chickens in my yard would be chickens served for dinner......

 

[laht90]

Thanks so much for your reply.

The neighbors yard looks pretty nice as well (from what I can see of it). They are digging the holes for food it seems, which is where you made a good point in that there is probably nothing left in their yard so they are moving on to ours. We will definitely talk with them. I just wasn't quite sure of chicken behavior or anything like that or if there was anything we could do on our end to keep them off because I feel like they have had the same routine with them for years now with being free range that I feel bad having to ask them to fence them off a bit more, I need to stop being so sensitive I guess haha. we will chat with them soon

 

[123RedBeard]

Good fences make good neighbors.

Chickens taste good!

Not sure where you live, but bugs and grubs live in cycles ... Tis the season for the grubs to bury in the lawn to over winter ... Chickens like grubs!

 

[laht90]

Ahhhhh that makes total sense! We're in NH and they just started digging like 2 weeks ago so it must be the grubs!

 

[123RedBeard]

The bad news is ... If the chickens don't destroy your lawn, and clean out the grubs ... The skunks will!

 

[Den in Penn]

Good news about the skunks is that they only dig small holes compared to the chickens.

 

[Mutt Farm]

Hi!

I'm going to second @lazy gardener . I've used the hose to train my hens to stay out of my flower beds. Works like a charm. My concern that you might mention to the neighbor is that if you plan to use any type of fertilizer or pesticide on your property, it could cause illness or death to their flock. Also, if you have small children, you wouldn't want them having the droppings on their hands. You either for that matter.They really shouldn't mind keeping them home. Keep us posted!

 

[laht90]

thanks for all the replies everyone!

we are planning on talking with them this weekend since they seem to have an opposite schedule from us and are not home when we get out of work around 530. I like the the garden hose idea and will have to try it out while we wait for the weekend I woke up to a nice surprise this morning while taking the dog out, literally the WHOLE flock was in the back yard digging, all 8 of them, roosters included! The hens are fine but the roosters are jerks! They puff up and come at you if you try to go near them!! They puffed up at me and "cock-a doodle dooed" at me as I got in my car to leave for work as if they were saying "ya that's right you get in your car!!" I don't run from them or anything but they're pretty intimidating! ughh haha