What's With The Bad Manners?

[so lucky]

OK, so you know I have had some problems with my neighbors' dog chasing my chickens. This dog hasn't killed any yet, but she has hurt them pretty badly. The neighbors have been letting her out for a little while when the kids get home from school, and the dog finally made her way back across the field today, and really chased my chickens around, knocked down a fence, and caught one of the Sussex. She took a huge chunk of feathers and skin, all her tail feathers, and apparently bit her in the butt.....kind of bloody and raw at the anal opening. Poor chicken was traumatized. Well, the neighbor kids and their dad were out side playing Frisbee while their dog was over here trying to eat my chicken. I was yelling at the dog and chasing her through the yard. I KNOW they saw and heard me. Did they say a word? Did they come over and say "Sorry about your chicken"? Did I get a phone call asking about the fate of said chicken? NO! Nothing! They finally called their dog back after she was about halfway home, with a mouth full of feathers.
I would expect this behavior out of three teenage boys, but not a grown man. I am not sure the chicken will live.
The thing is, these are the people who plant the field between us. My chickens free range that field. I have monitored it frequently to make sure they don't do damage when the soybeans are young, and I don't see damage. But the dad may think they do hurt his crop. Maybe he is really PO'd about the chickens, and just hasn't said anything.
This is also the guy who sprayed round-up, and the spray drifted and killed part of my garden. I don't want to have a feud with my neighbor. I don't really know what to do.

 

[seedcorn]

I'd have a conversation with him. No yelling, just inform him, next time dog won't be coming home. It's his call.

 

[journey11]

I've had similar situations with two different dog-lovin' neighbors of mine. After a couple of talks and no action on one neighbor's part, I made their beagle mysteriously disappear. They bailed said beagle out of the pound ($100) and not long after the beagle came back and killed more chickens and so I made it mysteriously disappear again. Beagles are prone to run off, ya know.

The other neighbors: the husband would act all sorry and apologize, but his hateful wife would let the dogs run all over the neighborhood while he was at work. They were too big to make disappear (2 German Shepherds) and also threatened my kids. So it came down to it we just had to get a fence. I bought a PoultryNet electric fence for the hens to have some room to free-range protected. Best money I've ever spent. I have not lost a single hen in two years -- as compared to one stray dog having wiped out my entire flock of 13 POL pullets in maybe five minutes flat. Don't bother talking to the neighbors. It won't do any good. Spare your nerves and get a fence. Fortunately, these jerks with the GS's moved or we were going to have to fence the whole yard.

 

[thistlebloom]

If he is ticked about your chickens in his field then it's his bad to not let you know he doesn't like it. What kind of donkeys rear lets his dog mutilate a neighbors chickens in sight of him and his children?

Journey may be right about saving your breath and nerves, but I'm with Seed, calmly inform them that that was the last chicken their dog will maul. It doesn't have to be a two way conversation either, because he doesn't really sound like the conversational type.

If a dog was threatening/killing my animals and threatening my kids it could never be too big for me to make it disappear. Then I would get a fence.

 

[seedcorn]

FYI, county police informed me when I had neighbor dog problems, all I had to do was video said dog, submit to police-they were guilty and would pay fines. It would be per incident-if 2X/day, fined 2X. Thinking it was $100/time?

First time any dog threatens anybody on my place, will be his last time.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't know what the laws are in Missouri. They can vary a lot state by state. In Arkansas if a dog is harming your chickens you can kill it, but if it is not actively harming them you are illegal if you take it out. That can be very expensive. Documentation is pretty important, things like photos.

I don't know what conversations you've had with him about it. It sounds like not much.

I see two options for you. Have a conversation with him about it. Don't make any threats you are not wiling to back up. I know this is not the first time this type of thing has happened. Show him some photos of the damage to the chicken, blood and all.

Or file a police report. You have the chicken as evidence. Sometimes a policeman talking to someone of the costs of not controlling their dog can work wonders. Sometimes. But it also gives you documentation there is a problem. That could come in real handy if that dog comes back.

I'm not that opposed to the SSS approach, shoot, shovel, and shut up. The problem with that is that the shut up part includes anyone else at all that might see something. Where I am I could get away with it, but a lot of people can't. Too many neighbors.

It's a rough situation through no fault of your own.

 

[journey11]

I don't know what the laws are in Missouri. They can vary a lot state by state. In Arkansas if a dog is harming your chickens you can kill it, but if it is not actively harming them you are illegal if you take it out. That can be very expensive.

Same here. They have to be caught in the act. The GS would stand and bark at Ava in a threatening/guard dog manner--while she was playing in her own back yard. Expensive dogs. Too many neighbors nearby. If I were far enough out in the boonies, SSS would definitely have been my preferred option. In the flesh, I can definitely understand why people sometimes shoot their neighbors. Ha.

I've heard too many cases of people being sued. I know someone here who was actually sued for damages when they hit a dog that was loose out on a secondary road and owners saw it happen from their yard. They lost their case to them too. Crazy thing was they stopped to check on the dog!

In a perfect world, all chickens should have the fun of free-ranging, but there are just too many hazards out there. If it's not a dog, it's a coon, opossum, hawk, etc. Better just to fence them and know they are safe.

From my experience, there is nothing more miserable than to have to live with feuding neighbors in your face all summer long. It really takes all the fun and relaxation out of working in the garden.

 

[thistlebloom]

Of course the legal way is the best way to handle this situation, and I know how miserable it is to have antagonistic neighbors.

My first answer was a gut reaction, and I get angry at the thought of somebodies useless dog threatening a kid on their own property.

 

[journey11]

Whew, I can talk about it calmly now...but I was crazy livid at the time. Had a pretty bad summer overall, being so mad and frustrated on nearly a daily basis. This was counting talking to them about it, trying to work it out, four times we spoke to them about the dogs. Each time he said he'd take care of it. I suppose I should have tried to get the sheriff out here. I wish I had thought of video taping it at the time!

 

[Nyboy]

The one good thing about living in city limits, is the leash law. Dogs do not run loose, they will be picked up owner fined. Good luck I don't blame you for not wanting bad blood with neighbor.