Putting a "Property Damage" Price on Layers

[downriverchicks]

My flock has recently been attacked several times by a neighbor's dog. We have been in touch with the neighbor and he is working, albeit poorly, to resolve the issue. The dog has previously killed dozens of local chickens - all belonging to people far more patient and tolerant than me. So far, all of ours have survived, but we've spent precious many hours tending them from injuries and have seen egg production decrease by 2/3 as of today since the issues began. I don't wish any harm on the dog, which is very sweet and amiable to things other than chickens, and really just needs more responsible care from his owners, who don't have a fence for their 80lb pit mix.

However, we have begun to anxiously anticipate greater losses. Speaking to a farming mentor in my community, I was advised to bill the neighbors for our financial impact, as he has in the past when dogs have killed his birds. We are attempting to make a business of our little homestead, and sell our eggs for a small profit. Our chicks have been raised from day-old, fed organic homemade whole grain feed, and have generally been pampered and loved to the best of our ability. Our feed costs average $5/head per month. Some of our fancier fowl were $20/head as a chick. We've invested so much time, care, even some vet bills, in our flock. They have expected future production. How do you calculate that into a reasonably price to charge someone for killing your birds? Has anyone ever been in this situation before?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

For replacement of a bird that did not receive medical care as a direct result of the attack that resulted in it's death you need to use the "fair market value" of a similarly aged bird of the same breed and quality - if medical care was sought prior to the bird's demise you may be able to include those as damages too - but they must be costs directly related to the event in question. The damages are replacement costs, not reimbursement for prior expenses related to the bird.

 

[birdwrangler057]

Pit bulls are a pain!

Here is an example receipt;

Cost of time put in:

Cost monthly per head:

Income lost:

Treatment bills:

Cost for replacements:

Lost time until maturity (time until production of new chicks):

Pain and suffering ( if your a lawyer)


Grand total:

 

[birdwrangler057]

If a dog attacked my birds, I would light it up with my airsoft gun. Lol

Recommend getting one

 

[bobbi-j]

My flock has recently been attacked several times by a neighbor's dog. We have been in touch with the neighbor and he is working, albeit poorly, to resolve the issue. The dog has previously killed dozens of local chickens - all belonging to people far more patient and tolerant than me. So far, all of ours have survived, but we've spent precious many hours tending them from injuries and have seen egg production decrease by 2/3 as of today since the issues began. I don't wish any harm on the dog, which is very sweet and amiable to things other than chickens, and really just needs more responsible care from his owners, who don't have a fence for their 80lb pit mix.

However, we have begun to anxiously anticipate greater losses. Speaking to a farming mentor in my community, I was advised to bill the neighbors for our financial impact, as he has in the past when dogs have killed his birds. We are attempting to make a business of our little homestead, and sell our eggs for a small profit. Our chicks have been raised from day-old, fed organic homemade whole grain feed, and have generally been pampered and loved to the best of our ability. Our feed costs average $5/head per month. Some of our fancier fowl were $20/head as a chick. We've invested so much time, care, even some vet bills, in our flock. They have expected future production. How do you calculate that into a reasonably price to charge someone for killing your birds? Has anyone ever been in this situation before?

Something to consider - it may be more cost effective to either build a run for your birds to contain them to prevent further attacks or get some electric poultry netting to protect them than to lose production and pay vet bills. Is it "fair" that you have to pay to protect your birds? Not necessarily. But it is your responsibility to do so. If a neighbor dog can get at them, so can a wild predator. If you free range, that's a chance you take. If your birds are penned, you may want to look into securing it a little better. I'm not saying the neighbor shouldn't compensate you for your losses. By all means he should! I'm surprised that dog has not been shot by one of the dozens of local chicken owners that he has "visited". Or that animal control (or whatever passes for that where you live) hasn't been called.

 

[birdwrangler057]

Something to consider - it may be more cost effective to either build a run for your birds to contain them to prevent further attacks or get some electric poultry netting to protect them than to lose production and pay vet bills. Is it "fair" that you have to pay to protect your birds? Not necessarily. But it is your responsibility to do so. If a neighbor dog can get at them, so can a wild predator. If you free range, that's a chance you take. If your birds are penned, you may want to look into securing it a little better. I'm not saying the neighbor shouldn't compensate you for your losses. By all means he should! I'm surprised that dog has not been shot by one of the dozens of local chicken owners that he has "visited". Or that animal control (or whatever passes for that where you live) hasn't been called.

I agree, but if the owner won't put up a fence or restrain the dog from attacking everyone's animals, then they should pay the price. Wild predators are a different story, they are trappable and deterrable. I recommend putting protection up as Bobbi-j said, along with billing the dog owner for past destruction.

 

[downriverchicks]

Something to consider - it may be more cost effective to either build a run for your birds to contain them to prevent further attacks or get some electric poultry netting to protect them than to lose production and pay vet bills. Is it "fair" that you have to pay to protect your birds? Not necessarily. But it is your responsibility to do so. If a neighbor dog can get at them, so can a wild predator. If you free range, that's a chance you take. If your birds are penned, you may want to look into securing it a little better. I'm not saying the neighbor shouldn't compensate you for your losses. By all means he should! I'm surprised that dog has not been shot by one of the dozens of local chicken owners that he has "visited". Or that animal control (or whatever passes for that where you live) hasn't been called.

While I get that this was meant to be helpful, I have to say, I take a little umbridge to this response to my situation.

I protect my birds. My 40 chickens are in a fenced pasture in the middle of my 7 acres. They're checked upwards of 4 times a day. Their pasture is 350 sq ft of 4ft galvanized fencing, and I wouldn't put them in smaller space because they would lack access to appropriate forage. I have not had wild predator issues. Their pasture has good cover and we've managed to deter the coyotes with wolf urine spray treatments. My chickens have a dog for protection, but she is smaller and less aggressive than the appropriately-named Snatch, killer of chickens. We're getting a Great Pyrenees when we have the opportunity. I have exclusively had issues with this dog, who has both managed to get into the fence and managed to spook birds out by relentlessly running around the outside of the pasture until they flap-flap-startle over.

The dog in question has the ability to climb an 8 ft fence, as he has to reach our neighbor's chickens. The dog in question has torn hardware cloth off the side of coops with his teeth to reach chickens. A lot of people have threatened to shoot the dog. No one has. I'm glad. He's a very loved street rescue with an under-educated and underprepared owner. He deserves his life. I don't live in an area that's very sheriff/authority friendly, which probably explains why no one has been called before (secret woods weed patches might be discovered). But we will likely be coordinating with animal control in the event that this occurs again.

I don't see this as a failure on my part, at all.

 

[downriverchicks]

For replacement of a bird that did not receive medical care as a direct result of the attack that resulted in it's death you need to use the "fair market value" of a similarly aged bird of the same breed and quality - if medical care was sought prior to the bird's demise you may be able to include those as damages too - but they must be costs directly related to the event in question. The damages are replacement costs, not reimbursement for prior expenses related to the bird.

Where would I find the fair market value? I don't often see year or two aged birds for sale beyond craigslist, and not often our breeds. A little bit of googling didn't do much good.

 

[birdwrangler057]

What the owners should do is put a shock fence up, if he crosses the line, he'll be shocked until return. Like I said earlier, purchase a cheap airsoft rifle, they aren't deadly and won't puncture skin, every predator (wild or domestic) that invades my yard gets rattled by mine and never comes back.

 

[birdwrangler057]

Have you threatened the owners about contacting animal control? If you do, they probably will do something in fear of losing their pet.