Neighbours left a thinly veiled threat to our chickens

[JSkelce]

Maybe it's time to hunt around on the net for recipes that include dog meat, print them out and stuff it in their mailbox.

That’s exactly what our neighbours said!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Maybe it's time to hunt around on the net for recipes that include dog meat, print them out and stuff it in their mailbox.

Uh... do you know for a fact your neighbors did this with the chicken cutout, or do you only suspect they did? What if they didn't, and you do this, and they have cameras?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Maybe you could take the cutout over to them and ask them if they saw who put it in your yard. Tell them you're very concerned about the safety of your chickens and ask them to keep an eye out for any suspicious activity. Offer them eggs for their cooperation. And oh, by the way, you've installed cameras since you're so concerned. That should cover all your bases.

 

[aart]

I'd just set the cameras and keep quiet.
Fighting 'fire' with 'fire' just makes a bigger fire.
Retaliatory action takes you down to their level,
not sure that's where you want to be.

 

[PioneerChicks]

I'd say go up to them and try to talk it out. The fresh eggs idea sounds good to me! Briefly mention the camaras, but try to sort things out peacefully. Wishing you the best of luck!

 

[neo71665]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_meat

But I agree with aart. Let them hang their selves and don't add to it.

 

[The Happster]

I also agree with aart.
I'd just install the cameras, wait & watch.

 

[JSkelce]

Uh... do you know for a fact your neighbors did this with the chicken cutout, or do you only suspect they did? What if they didn't, and you do this, and they have cameras?

I would never, ever actually do something like that. I am a massive animal lover, it was just a joke we made whilst venting.
But yes we do know it was definitely them.

 

[JSkelce]

I'd just set the cameras and keep quiet.
Fighting 'fire' with 'fire' just makes a bigger fire.
Retaliatory action takes you down to their level,
not sure that's where you want to be.

I absolutely agree and they were my very words to my husband. I will not be pulled down to their level. It would only be validation to them that they were right all along. That’s all it would achieve.

 

[chickawhat]

This is only my third post and second about my strange, often friendly but also very passive-aggressive neighbours. So a few months ago I posted about a problem whereby my neighbours believed their dog had contracted salmonella standing in our chicken poop and licking it off his paws. I was never shown any evidence of this, just told 'that's what the vet told us'. To be fair to them, the chickens were escaping every now and then but since the incident, the problem has been rectified and the chickens haven't escaped since. For a great number of reasons, we do not believe the dog contracted salmonella from our four perfectly happy, clean and well-housed chickens, if it did ever contract it at all.
They are a very odd family, a bit bitter and resentful (upsetting other neighbours, falling out with people in the village etc) and have a very much love dogs but hate all other animals kind of thing going on. They pretend to have no problem with the chickens but rather protest too much about this. So on Sunday they left the front of a Paxo Chicken Stuffing box under a brick on our footpath leading up from our front door. They had actually taken the time to cut it out and then left it under a brick, right in the middle of our path so we couldn't miss it. They haven't sent any text message, or knocked on our door about any problem, just left this. I don't think the dog is sick again as we saw them out walking it the very same day.
My husband is a very calm man but is extremely angry about this. I am just more worried about the safety of my chickens as I see this as a threat to them, as do our other neighbours who also keep chickens. What do you think I should do to address this? Also, does anyone know the law on someone killing your chickens in the UK? If they harm them, I want them punished. I do not like confrontation or taking the law into my own hands. I have set up CCTV next to my coop so I will catch them if they try anything, but it will be too late for my chickens by then and I love them dearly.

wait, I thought salmonella in dogs was pretty rare and the almost never actually get sick from it? My dogs are always trying to eat chicken poop none of them have ever been sick. maybe i’m wrong? I have neighbors like this too. very friendly to my face. like theyre my best friends but they love to send me text message that always start with “just so you know...” drives me crazy. they usually only complains about ridiculous stuff like taking my garbage bin out to the curb on the pick up day and not the night before.... is that really an offense lol.