no eggs and an overbearing neighbor

[Qi Chicken]

I don't think I'd like the neighbor thing either, but I'd like it better than our neighbor whose dog attacked our flock and didn't give a da*n.

We have the same laying situation as you though, and I can GUARANTEE or neighbor is not feeding them strawberries. If he did it would be strawberries with a side of arsenic. But anyway, I couldn't believe it, we have 13 hens that have layed well all through the cold Iowa winter. usually 8/13 at least. Then 3 or 5 and then NONE! I think ours are molting. They don't look bald or anything, it can be kind of hard to spot. Look for loose feathers poking out etc. Our flock will be a year old on April 5 so we haven't had them that long.

I would talk to your neighbor and explain how worried you are about them. Explain how you like to know what they are eating and show her your feeding system. Chickens are always pecking around and she may actually think they are hungry. But she is genuinely concerned about your animals and that is nice. Make sure she knows you love them and are taking care of them and that you appreciate her concern. And involve her, she could be a great ally! Maybe hang a basket that she could put scraps in on your fence or something. Honestly, most people up the protein (the bones) to get more laying. I don't think the food is causing your hens not to lay. She shouldn't feed them unauthorized food but I think you can make her see that without offending her. If you want to go out of town she is your go to girl!! Good luck, wish I had your neighbor (kind of!)

ps just read your note again. Explain how scratch is like potato chips and is fun for them but not nutritious. A little goes a long way. I think the poor woman is lonely.

 

[ralleia]

Quote:
I'm with Melody. Your neighbor sounds like a DREAM! I had to get a restraining order against our neighbor and his son for threatening me. They threatened the horses as well (and then something nasty happened to the horses.) The guy ended up convicted of violating a harassment restraint order and convicted of misdemeanor stalking. I'd LOVE to have your neighbor!

Chickens love table scraps and such--the only things I don't feed mine are other poultry. If you're concerned that the "supplementation" might be resulting in insufficient protein, then you might try a higher-protein feed. We actually feed our laying hens gamebird feed to make sure they have everything they need--they're absolutely thriving, well-feathered, and burying us alive in eggs, despite our feeding of garden and table scraps.

With 40 hens, we get between 21 and 25 eggs a day now. With five hens, it's difficult to really say what or whether something may have thrown them "off," since five isn't even enough to be statistically significant (meaning the sample size just ain't big enough to draw conclusion that you can really stand on).

Yeah, she's a bit meddlesome, but I think her heart's in the right place and she'll respond to a little gentle guidance. If you're lucky we can get her to have her own chickens and drag her to this board!

 

[CIgal]

Quote:
I'm with Melody. Your neighbor sounds like a DREAM! I had to get a restraining order against our neighbor and his son for threatening me. They threatened the horses as well (and then something nasty happened to the horses.) The guy ended up convicted of violating a harassment restraint order and convicted of misdemeanor stalking. I'd LOVE to have your neighbor!

Chickens love table scraps and such--the only things I don't feed mine are other poultry. If you're concerned that the "supplementation" might be resulting in insufficient protein, then you might try a higher-protein feed. We actually feed our laying hens gamebird feed to make sure they have everything they need--they're absolutely thriving, well-feathered, and burying us alive in eggs, despite our feeding of garden and table scraps.

With 40 hens, we get between 21 and 25 eggs a day now. With five hens, it's difficult to really say what or whether something may have thrown them "off," since five isn't even enough to be statistically significant (meaning the sample size just ain't big enough to draw conclusion that you can really stand on).

Yeah, she's a bit meddlesome, but I think her heart's in the right place and she'll respond to a little gentle guidance. If you're lucky we can get her to have her own chickens and drag her to this board!

Oh, I agree, she's not a bad neighbor at all! I guess I just get frustrated sometimes... she is ALWAYS in our business and is VERY forward, bordering on abrasive.

Always correcting me on everything, commenting on my weight, telling me about her past sex life, etc... lol My hubby and I are reserved and laid back... we like to keep to ourselves mostly. She is a single older lady and I'm sure is lonely, so I try to take it all in stride.
At first I wasn't aware she was feeding them, but when I found out she was, I was under the impression it was the occasional veggie/fruit scraps which I'm totally okay with. Then more and more I see piles of food waste out there and have tried to gently approach the subject.
Truly I was super nice about it... more like gentle guidance and did explain how I was just worried about them, but she just gets offended super easy... nothing I can do about that.

As for their feed, it is layer feed. They have 24 hr access to it and free range as they please in their large fenced off grassy run. I'm not aware of any stress on them and haven't seen any molting. I take that back, there is one pullet that has a couple feathers poking out of her breast area, but she JUST started laying so I don't include her in my "laying" bunch.
Thanks for all your opinions and advice. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens. Maybe put a crock pot in their run?

 

[MrsFordTN]

Oh you have a great neighbor! My parents would trade you in a heart beat!!! The worse part is their neighbor is my dad's uncle, if I dare call him that!

My parents have had Animal control at their house 14 times in the last year, no not because my parents are doing anything wrong, just that the neighbor thinks they are! They call with made up stories! Like when I was still at home they called because my then 12 week old 60 lb Saint Bernard was 'so thin he couldn't even get up' or that my dad is 'beating his 7 yr old yellow lad to the point of death' the same lab my dad (manly man bottle fed and built a dog house that has two levels for...

Also, that my chickens were nasty birds that pooped in his yard, yet my chickens only free ranged once daily with me out there, and then when AC wouldn't do anything my chickens started to disappear.

Just last week my parents were marking off their new fence line and the butt of a neighbor and his chicken shot son in law came up to the property line to make sure my parents weren't stealing their land, on and they just happened to bring baseball bats! Cops were called, my parent's called, but they said they were just hammering in nails with the bats, ummm sure....

So, just so you know, you could have the butt hold neighbors from heck like my parents!

Oh funny note all this crap their neighbor is cause is over a stray cat that got attacked by some dogs, neighbor wanted to sue them for 'his' cat, funny thing is I had taken the cat to be neutered so it's micro-chip was in my name, thus he couldn't sue. He wanted us to go to court and half the money with him, I told him heck no it was a STRAY cat! AC was at our house the next monday.

 

[ralleia]

Quote:
Is she a little Japanese lady? Because she sounds like my mother. I've almost had to bar her from my house because she won't stop telling me all the things I'm doing wrong, what I *should* be doing, and how much she is helping me.

Hmmmmm...we're going to have to think of a way to rechannel her efforts into something more helpful, while tricking her into thinking it was all her idea.

Layer feed is lower in protein than meat bird feed, which is lower in protein than game bird feed. I've also read that game bird feed has better quality controls. My hens are a lot healthier and more prolific on the game bird feed, and the cost isn't much different, especially for a small number of birds. Something to consider, while we try to "cure" your neighbor.

 

[CIgal]

Quote:
I give them a good looking over every couple weeks, but I think I'll take a real close look to see if I can tell if moulting is the problem. It's possible my young RIR pullet could be moulting, but I don't include her in my "regular layer" counts. Thanks for the advice!

Varmints are a big problem here on the island we live on, so that too is a concern of mine. I thought maybe there was a pesky rat stealing them, but I haven't seen any signs of them nor have we had any rodent problems so far this year. When we do get them, they LOVE to climb into our walls or behind our dryer - darn things!

 

[CIgal]

Quote:
Is she a little Japanese lady? Because she sounds like my mother. I've almost had to bar her from my house because she won't stop telling me all the things I'm doing wrong, what I *should* be doing, and how much she is helping me.

Hmmmmm...we're going to have to think of a way to rechannel her efforts into something more helpful, while tricking her into thinking it was all her idea.

Layer feed is lower in protein than meat bird feed, which is lower in protein than game bird feed. I've also read that game bird feed has better quality controls. My hens are a lot healthier and more prolific on the game bird feed, and the cost isn't much different, especially for a small number of birds. Something to consider, while we try to "cure" your neighbor.

LOL No, she's not your mom, but it sounds like they could be long lost twins!

I will need to get some new feed soon, so I think I will try the game bird feed route and see how it goes. I had wondered if giving them too much protein would put a strain on their bodies... like making them into little egg machines and tire them out. It sounds like many use it though, so I assume it is okay for them.

Thanks for your advice... and for the laugh!

 

[earnhardtlvr]

i don't even own chickens yet, but i can tell u i am gonna be quite upset if my eighbor starts throwning "treats" into my babies pen! I would suggest maybe she get just 2 chickens of her own. Not a lot of work (this is what i hear) and maybe she'll leave urs alone! Good luck!

 

[Cindlady]

Chickens do get a natural lull in laying. Kind of a rest period. Barring any illness or molting, they should be up to laying good again soon. Also egg laying goes down about 10% a year as the hens get older. And a note on molting.... A true heavy molt usually comes in the fall, but often (especially younger hens) will have a light spring molt. Mine are doing that now too.

 

[Bonniejean83]

I feel for you, even well meaning, noisey neighbors can be a headache. I just got my first chicks this week and hope it doesn't flare up issues with a terrible household of neighbors we have living behind us. They have thrown things over the fence to our 2 dogs, but it was cooked poultry bones, not good for dogs! Luckily my husband found them before the dogs did. They've threatned to shoot our dogs, and one them was charged with disorderly conduct after I had to call the police because she came to my front door screaming and cursing at me about my husband parking in "her" parking place (actually in a public lot), then she tried to grab my door out of my hand like she was going to come in my house! Very scary people, I keep praying they just move!

Hopefully your hens start laying again, and you all find some sort of happy medium... Good Luck!