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

[mimi101]

Yeah, you need to talk to the local authorities.........actually, your neighbor shouldn't even know you had those 40 chicks or that you sell eggs, etc.....don't mention any of your chicken business to him. Make sure you keep a charged phone close by in case his dog enters YOUR yard and take a pic for evidence and file a dog complaint .......I can't have roosters in this city but I have 4 roosters in the garage.....they are pretty quiet!!

 

[PopoMyers]

So my neighbor is a drunk and has been for 30 some odd years. My mom says to ignore him. He has been acting nice to me now but then right after acting mean again. My mom says it’s something called wet brain and has to do with drunkards. Talking to this guy is giving me whiplash. I’m trying to ignore him but he’s trying to make “pleasant” conversation with one minute then biting my head off. I wish this all didn’t feel so damn crazy.

He sounds like an undiagnosed bipolar.

 

[Blue Raptor]

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.

He seems to be freaking out about your chickens when they seem to be doing nothing to bother him, and the real problem at hand it his dog. I’d say to let the deal be. If he freaks out about your chickens (even if they are really doing nothing) just let it be, it seems to me he can’t really do anything to make you get rid of your birds, and really, he doesn’t seem all that angry deep down to me. If his dog hurts or attacks any of your chickens, then I’d try to do something about it, but for now (if the dog really isn’t doing anything- yet) I’d let it be, just keep an eye on on that dog and don’t let it get to your birds.

 

[Smileybans]

Yeah, you need to talk to the local authorities.........actually, your neighbor shouldn't even know you had those 40 chicks or that you sell eggs, etc.....don't mention any of your chicken business to him. Make sure you keep a charged phone close by in case his dog enters YOUR yard and take a pic for evidence and file a dog complaint .......I can't have roosters in this city but I have 4 roosters in the garage.....they are pretty quiet!!

I don’t tell him how many chickens I have. I make up a small number. He only knew the chicks were there because I didn’t try to hide them. Why should I not mention my chicken business to him? I’m not going to, and it isn’t any of his business, but why should I not? I had only mentioned the selling of eggs to him because he kept calling me keeping chickens a hobby. It started out that way. But I got specific breeds to breed them because they’re hard to find around me. So it turned into a business.

 

[Smileybans]

go to the meeting and demand that they publish the city code online. Not publishing online restricts access to the law to those who can afford to buy a copy or take a day off from work to go and look something up at the Mayor's pleasure. Ignorance of the law may not be an excuse, but keeping the law secret is unjust.

I will do that. The mayor seems to think that if I bring up changing the chicken ordinance the board is just going to outlaw chickens all together. I’m not sure how to convince them that more people are keeping chickens now.

I told the mayor I couldn’t find the ordinances anywhere when I looked for them. His response? I should have gone to the village hall and asked about it. Well sorry I didn’t think of everything. I’m hoping to move out of the village in a year anyway. I’m not going to deal with this crap the rest of my life. The village is also full of mostly old people. No new young people moving in. They’re all moving out.

 

[Brooks_]

Then you have to go to the village hall to buy one

Can the library get a copy? I admit your town sounds small enough to not have one.

 

[Smileybans]

Can the library get a copy? I admit your town sounds small enough to not have one.

No library here. I think the village is all of 4000sq feet. The closest library is in Schoharie. They wouldn’t have anything for my village.

 

[LaFleche]

I’m hoping to move out of the village in a year anyway. I’m not going to deal with this crap the rest of my life.

Might be the best in your situation.

 

[bcorps]

Stuff like this is why I regularly walk around my yard in the day time, carrying a hunting rifle, in full view of anyone in the neighborhood. I don't really have any actual mayhem in mind, other than for the rabbits trying to get at my cabbage garden. But sometimes a little doubt in the neighbors' heads about potential encounters with me is a good thing.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Stuff like this is why I regularly walk around my yard in the day time, carrying a hunting rifle, in full view of anyone in the neighborhood. I don't really have any actual mayhem in mind, other than for the rabbits trying to get at my cabbage garden. But sometimes a little doubt in the neighbors' heads about potential encounters with me is a good thing.

Mr. McGregor?