Neighbour's chooks have destroyed my veggie garden

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meoldchina, Nov 14, 7:24pm
I have lost count of the number of times I have had to phone my neighbour to tell her that her chickens have got out of their run and eaten or scratched at my veggies. The problem is, although we are urban we have large sections that are unfenced. It was particularly frustrating today when I found they had eaten all my silverbeet, lettuce and brassicas, and scratched all my seedlings out of the ground. I went round to see her and have suggested we share the cost of having a chicken wire fence erected, but she just shrugged her shoulders and said "whatever". I know that if I get quotes for a fence there's no way she can afford to pay her share of the cost, so I am stuck between a rock and hard place. I don't particularly want a fence. I just wish she could see the problem from my point of view and simply keep her chickens inside their run.
Sorry - I need to vent!
seadubya, Nov 14, 7:35pm
She doesn't give a shit.
I've got a few suggestions, chicken soup, roast chicken, chicken kebabs, satay chicken & chicken tikka masala.
omamari, Nov 14, 7:42pm
All good advice, apart from roast, too tough
meoldchina, Nov 14, 7:43pm
Yes, I like the culinary solution, except I am unlikely to be able to catch the little b•••••s.
sally63, Nov 14, 8:29pm
I had the same problem years ago. I used a possum trap and put food in but did not bait it a few times.The chickens learned to go in and help themselves to the apples and other goodies. Then one day I set it.
meoldchina, Nov 14, 8:34pm
Thanks Sally63.
mtbotrev, Nov 14, 8:43pm
obliged to pay half share of fence. so go down that line.
blueviking, Nov 15, 8:14am
Get a dog and tell him their his dinner, or can you borrow someones dog or just try and catch a stray.Or a fairly aggressive cat.
I had the same problem with neighbours hens. I put up a wire fence. The chickens would walk all the way down their drive and then down mine.(both back sections)
greenfox, Nov 15, 8:53am
leave some poisoned vegetables lying around.
veejay13, Nov 15, 9:14am
How about a chicken-wire fence around your vegie garden? I know you shouldn't have to, but that way you wouldn't need to pay her share to fence off her section.
meoldchina, Nov 15, 10:00am
I have created a barricade of chicken wire cloches around the edges of my veggie garden (it's actually five seperate sections of boxed garden) but they somehow manage to fly or jump over them. I can't put a fence around the veggies because of various obstacles, such as the washing line. It's all rather depressing and very frustrating, but thank you for your suggestions.
venna2, Nov 15, 10:10am
I think some of those suggestions are appalling. It's not the chooks' fault, and they could be badly injured and left in great pain. I do understand that it must be really frustrating, but it's the neighbour who needs to be dealt with, not the hens.
aprilguy, Nov 15, 10:14am
If you can't fence the veggie garden as it is, consider moving it to a rectangular area where you can fence it - I am assuming the boundary is too long to consider fencing. Once the chooks are out, that's it for any unprotected veggies I'm afraid.
strachs, Nov 15, 11:25am
Random thought. animal control?
meoldchina, Nov 15, 1:00pm
Animal control tell me they will simply give her a warning and they have never brought a prosecution under the by-laws. I would prefer to handle this one-to-one, even though every time I tell her that the chickens are out, she gives me abuse.
I think I have come to the conclusion that I should offer to fix her chicken run at my expense and also clip their wings in case they continue to escape.
A lot of the time I think her teenage son simply leaves the gate of the chook run open. Can you believe it?
docsportello, Nov 15, 1:07pm
Never fails to impress how "whatever" solves all issues, but when the killing starts suddenly YOU'RE the problem.
amasser, Nov 15, 1:29pm
Does your council have any regulations regarding chickens in urban areas? If so, is A/C enforcing them? Can you trap the birds as they are strays (like dogs)? As much as it annoys you, annoy A/C more until you get some results.
midnight42, Nov 15, 2:59pm
I hope she keeps you supplied with eggs! My chooks come into the garden but I keep netting over the vege garden and that keeps them out, I do live rural so it is my problem
crazynana, Nov 15, 3:13pm
I would build a chicken run and each one that comes to your vegetable buffet gets shut in there until she gets the message that if her chooks come on your property that they become homeless and you adopt them.
lythande1, Nov 15, 4:42pm
Odd.
I had chooks once, let them roam freely around the gardens. They did sample things initially, mostly spat stuff out. And found their two favourite plants, chickweed being one, and stuck to those.
They did, however, love the compost heap and ate heaps of the poor worms.
zeta7, Nov 15, 4:43pm
I know how you feel my husband lets the chooks out and they eat every thing in my garden at least i can yell and scream at him and cook him half eaten veges for dinner and make him eat them dont know why he hasnt done for a long time
oh_hunnihunni, Nov 15, 5:29pm
My neighbours chooks visit everyday. I have barricaded the vegies and put the cats on guard duty. If all else fails I catch them and fling them back over the fence.

I like them.
cagivachick1, Nov 15, 7:03pm
my ex neighbour sicced the dog control on me because one of my dogs killed one of her chickens in MY backyard, they would fly over a 6ft fence,
woody89, Nov 15, 9:19pm
Just an observation re chickens. Having had various breeds, they fall into two general types ie heavy or light. You don't say they're bantams so I'll assume they're one of the other. Point being, heavy breeds would easily stay behind a reasonable fence, they really don't fly much. Light breeds will fly or flap& scrabble over a 6 ft fence. Pointless to go down the fence route if they wouldn't be contained. I think you're neighbour is being quite arrogant in her response to your apparently polite requests. When my birds did something similar, we hurriedly sorted out an improved living quarters for them, apologised profusely & took over some eggs & some plant vouchers.
cagivachick1, Nov 15, 9:38pm
yes our neighbours would be light chickens, funny looking chinese chickens, the dog liked them though