Updates on the last pages: Neighbor is threatening me and my chickens

[SusanneDeF]

My neighbor all of a sudden has a problem with my chickens. He freaked out because I held 40 chicks overnight for a friend. The chicks were gone in the morning but he is still freaking out. He’s worried his dog will come into my yard and kill my chickens. But then he tells me he has trained his dog not to touch my chickens.

I live in upstate ny where the right to farm law is in effect. My village zoning laws say nothing about not being able to keep poultry. It actually says it’s okay to keep all kinds of livestock in any zone. There is also no limit on how many I can keep. The right to farm law covers most of the zoning law in my village.

I breed and sell my chickens. I sell the chicks and the eggs. This has quickly become part of my income since I cannot work outside of my home. I have four roosters and twenty hens. My neighbor is mad that I have named all of my chickens and that I don’t actually know how many I have. I know how many I have but don’t tell him because it isn’t his business.

I’m wondering if I’m in the wrong here at all. If he calls someone down will I get into trouble? Or can I flip the scrip because he lets his dog off leash in a town with leash laws? In the zoning laws for my village it says no animal shall run at large, except cats, unless fenced in properly. My chickens are fenced in but hes afraid his dog will bust through the fence or something. There is also no talking to this guy. He’s an old man stuck in his ways and refuses to listen to anyone who doesn’t tell him what he wants to hear.

Advice? Should I just let it be? My anxiety has me going crazy.

Well legally he can’t do anything if the zoning laws allow it and as for the dog going after your chickens when they are confined is his problem not yours because his dog shouldn’t be on your property in the first place so I would just ignore him and if he Harasses you tell him to keep his dog under control and there won’t be any problems don’t let him bully you

 

[neo71665]

No trespassing signs are like $1 a pop here. Post your entire property and next time the idiot comes over calmly call the cops then press charges.

 

[Beckaryu]

Have you tried giving him a dozen eggs? I have found that sometimes those who are stuck most in their old ways react well to a gesture of kindness and goodwill.
I would also put in an Anonymous call to your district and ask them in hypotheticals what is allowed and where you can find the parameters on their website.

 

[LaFleche]

Have you tried giving him a dozen eggs? I have found that sometimes those who are stuck most in their old ways react well to a gesture of kindness and goodwill.
I would also put in an Anonymous call to your district and ask them in hypotheticals what is allowed and where you can find the parameters on their website.

I tried giving him eggs.

She did.

 

[andiseth]

My neighbor all of a sudden has a problem with my chickens. He freaked out because I held 40 chicks overnight for a friend. The chicks were gone in the morning but he is still freaking out. He’s worried his dog will come into my yard and kill my chickens. But then he tells me he has trained his dog not to touch my chickens.

I live in upstate ny where the right to farm law is in effect. My village zoning laws say nothing about not being able to keep poultry. It actually says it’s okay to keep all kinds of livestock in any zone. There is also no limit on how many I can keep. The right to farm law covers most of the zoning law in my village.

I breed and sell my chickens. I sell the chicks and the eggs. This has quickly become part of my income since I cannot work outside of my home. I have four roosters and twenty hens. My neighbor is mad that I have named all of my chickens and that I don’t actually know how many I have. I know how many I have but don’t tell him because it isn’t his business.

I’m wondering if I’m in the wrong here at all. If he calls someone down will I get into trouble? Or can I flip the scrip because he lets his dog off leash in a town with leash laws? In the zoning laws for my village it says no animal shall run at large, except cats, unless fenced in properly. My chickens are fenced in but hes afraid his dog will bust through the fence or something. There is also no talking to this guy. He’s an old man stuck in his ways and refuses to listen to anyone who doesn’t tell him what he wants to hear.

Advice? Should I just let it be? My anxiety has me going crazy.

I’d call the town (or go to town hall) and ask all those questions myself to lay it to rest mentally (I’d also see about giving them his name on a report to establish this challenging touchy neighbor that you’d prefer im sure to have an amicable relationship with), so then you can let him know you’ve throughly checked it all out and are within your rights.
I usually follow that sort of statement with a gentle smile and pay them a sincere compliment like, ‘your garden always impresses me every year. You have a real knack for... I have struggled a bit with that skill.” I do make sure it a true compliment and not patronizing or untrue.

 

[Beckaryu]

She did.

He needs a hobby then! It amazes me how people seam to have so much mental time on their hands!

 

[LaFleche]

He needs a hobby then! It amazes me how people seam to have so much mental time on their hands!

Well, as it seems he does have a hobby: harassing and bullying the neighbour to his heart's content!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

This thread has also been taken over by posters not offering the respect to actually familiarize themselves with the current status of the situation before inserting opinions, many based on pure emotion and some remarkably bad advice. I've had enough, and am stepping off.

@Smileybans you know how to reach me if I can assist further. Good luck speaking with the mayor, hope you can get an exemption and/or an ordinance change in the near future. You are showing remarkable patience, in my view, in responding to some of the comments.

Hope everyone has a good morning, this is too much for me.

 

[neo71665]

This thread has also been taken over by posters not offering the respect to actually familiarize themselves with the current status of the situation before inserting opinions, many based on pure emotion and some remarkably bad advice. I've had enough, and am stepping off.

@Smileybans you know how to reach me if I can assist further. Good luck speaking with the mayor, hope you can get an exemption and/or an ordinance change in the near future. You are showing remarkable patience, in my view, in responding to some of the comments.

Hope everyone has a good morning, this is too much for me.

Tall fences make good neighbors

 

[BEAR CREEK NAN]

Do not engage in conversations. He sounds very unstable and lonely.
Just be busy taking care of your own business.