Neighbor's chickens causing damage

[Nobar King]

I'm having issues with my next door neighbor and her chickens. The chickens run free, and they often get into my garden and dig up seeds, seedlings, and a number of plants as well as creating a good deal of mess. I have talked to the neighbors several times about keeping their chickens cooped up but they seem to think their chickens are darling pets that should be allowed to roam.
My question is how to deal with their chickens. When they are in my garden should I trap, kill, or have them shipped off by animal control, or anything else?

Please advise.

[Nurse Clampett]

Re: Neighbors chickens causing damage

She has chickens and hasn't even offered to bake you a casserole?

[Nobar King]

Re: Neighbors chickens causing damage

I get some eggs now and then, but I can buy my eggs at the Piggly Wiggly, I don't need her nuisance chickens for that.

[Ezekiel Bathfire]

Re: Neighbor's chickens causing damage

You will forgive me if I amuse myself by thinking that Brother Nobar’s chickens are coming home to roost. But in all seriousness, The Lord speaks of the joy in heaven when a lost sheep is found. At this stage, with all that returning of chickens, your neighbour should be ecstatic but she is not. This is callous ingratitude and ungodly.

It is not even as if you have coveted her chickens or her hen-house. Thus the only thing remaining would seem to be:
Ex:22:10: If a man deliver unto his neighbour an ass, or an ox, or a sheep, or any beast, to keep; and it die, or be hurt, or driven away, no man seeing it:
[…]
Ex:22:13: If it be torn in pieces, then let him bring it for witness, and he shall not make good that which was torn.

You should tear up the odd chicken and hand it back.

If there is any complaint, quote Ex:22:5: If a man shall cause a field or vineyard to be eaten, and shall put in his beast, and shall feed in another man's field; of the best of his own field, and of the best of his own vineyard, shall he make restitution.

[Dr. Zaius]

Re: Neighbor's chickens causing damage

Nobar, you might try putting up a pole with cross bars like what's shown here and bluff the neighbor, tell her you have seen a hawk in the area and have put up a perching post since they are such a unique bird. Maybe the nieghbor will get the hint that those unfenced chickens are food for birds of prey!

[Palmer C. Eldrich]

Re: Neighbor's chickens causing damage

Have you thought of inviting your neighbor over for a chicken BBQ?

[William Snodgrass]

Re: Neighbor's chickens causing damage

I'd just break out my 12 gauge shotgun, but I'm sure things is different in the big city. If you can't shoot em, I'd call animal control and have them round them chickens up. When your neighbors complain, tell them to go to the law about it.

[Nobar King]

Re: Neighbor's chickens causing damage

You shoot chickens with a shotgun? That's kind of overkill, isn't it?

[William Snodgrass]

Re: Neighbor's chickens causing damage

First off, shotgun shells are pretty cheap around here. Second, you wouldn't believe the number of chickens I have to shoot. Third, it gets the job done on the first shot.
I could use my rifle, but I keep my shotgun on the porch so it's usually closer anyway.

[Eugene Hackwith]

Re: Neighbor's chickens causing damage

If a nice, polite conversation over a few mugs of hot chocolate doesn't work with the neighbors, then nothing will. If this is the case, I'd catch the chickens, slaughter them, and fry them up.

[Nobar King]

Re: Neighbor's chickens causing damage

She already knows that I don't like her chickens digging up my flowers. She doesn't care. "That's what chickens do" is always her answer, "there's nothing I can do about it. Next, you'll probably want me to make them stop clucking, right?" She's impossible.

I don't think shooting the chickens would be nice, and she'd have the county police over here for sure. I don't need to deal with them, either. Whenever I ask them what they're going to do about the chickens, they just shrug their shoulders and say "that's a civil issue. Go to mediation."

THERE'S NOTHING TO MEDIATE ABOUT!! GET A DAMN CHICKEN COOP!! THIS ISN'T WORTH A FEW FREE EGGS!!

[Ezekiel Bathfire]

Re: Neighbor's chickens causing damage

[...]GET A DAMN CHICKEN COOP!! THIS ISN'T WORTH A FEW FREE EGGS!!

Protest!

[Nobar King]

Re: Neighbor's chickens causing damage

HAHAHA I'm going to be making chicken soup soon. I'll bring the neighbor some as a gift.

[JennyD]

Re: Neighbor's chickens causing damage

Might I suggest that you find a pet of your own, Brother Nobar, and let it run loose in your yard?

[Nobar King]

Re: Neighbor's chickens causing damage

I'm not a big fan of pets that run free and attack other peoples' animals. That fox looks like a wild animal. Can they be domestiacted?