‘HE wont control HIS animals’: Guy next door gets 6 chickens then insists his neighbor should pay $1000s for a fence after they complain about the free-roaming birds destroying their yard

Farmcore is strong right now. As everyone grows tired of the hustle and bustle, they dream of the day they can live on a farmstead, tending to the tranquil animals, and living off the land in peace and solitude. It's a pipe dream for a city slicker, of course, because most of us don't realize the amount of work, dedication, and animal feed that goes into raising livestock. Even chickens, the most common of farm animals that have burrowed their way into our domesticated hearts, are a lot more complicated than farmcore influencers online claim they are. 

Chickens give us eggs, sure, but they root up the ground, destroy landscaping, leave their refuse haphazardly in their wake, and if you're unlucky enough to have a rooster, say goodbye to your lazy mornings sleeping in. Farm animals may be handsome and wholesome on paper, but they're oftentimes more trouble than they're worth… Especially in suburbia. 

A suburban man recently leaned into the waking whims of farmstead lifestyle when he bought 6 chickens. Without a coop to house them, he let a half-dozen birds roam free in his yard; however, to the dismay of the neighbors, who never thought they needed a fence, that meant their vegetable garden and hard-won flower bed were up for grabs. 

Chickens don't recognize property lines, but this neighborly feud certainly should. 

Author image for Jesse Kessenheimer Jesse Kessenheimer
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  • I cant believe I'm sharing this, my neighbor keeps letting his chickens into my yard and says its "natural foraging"
    via Creative-Drawer857
  • Senior man holding a rooster in his arms.
    via Rido

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • Property boundaries literally draw the line in the sand between neighborly disputes. On this side is my stuff, and over there is yours; it's simple. However, when this wannabe farmer bought a gaggle of chickens, he didn't imagine they wouldn't recognize the imaginary line between his property and the one next door. Adamantly against caging his birds in a coop or putting up some chicken wire to bar them from entering the yard next door, threats were hurled between neighbors, and finally, the chicken man had the audacity to insist that if his opponent didn't like chickens in his yard, he should be the one to build a $1000 fence to protect it. 

    Read on to weigh in on this free-roaming, bird-brained neighborly dispute that left commenters slaw-jawed and scratching their claws into the ground in dismay. Perhaps it's time the neighbor starts looking up some chicken pot pie recipes in retaliation…

  • I'm losing my mind. My neighbor Greg (50sM) got chickens about 3 months ago. Six of them. Which is fine whatever people can have chickens I guess.
    via Creative-Drawer857
  • The problem is he lets them free roam and they spend ALL DAY in MY yard digging up my garden eating my vegetables and pooping everywhere. I've asked him nicely four times now to keep them in his yard and he always says "chickens are meant to free range, its cruel to keep them penned up all day."
    via Creative-Drawer857
  • Man holding chickens in his yard.
    via JackF

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • I don't care about chicken philosophy I care about my tomatoes that I spent months growing being destroyed! Last week one of them got into my garage and laid eggs in a box of Christmas decorations. When I told Greg he laughed and said I should be grateful for free eggs.
    via Creative-Drawer857
  • Yesterday I found them digging up my wife's flower bed that she spent hundreds of dollars on. I went over there and told Greg he needs to build a fence or something and he said "actually YOUR property line is your responsibility, if you don't want them over there build your own fence."
    via Creative-Drawer857
  • Is he serious?? I have to spend thousands on a fence because HE wont control HIS animals? My wife wants to call animal control but I don't want to escalate. But also these chickens are ruining our yard daily
    via Creative-Drawer857
  • Experienced farmer holding chickens.
    via JackF

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • Turbojelly Look up livestock laws in your area. This might give you a legal route for complaints.
    via Turbojelly
  • pm_me_whateva Sounds like you're about to rescue a dog.
    via pm_me_whateva
  • highlander666666 Time for some fresh chicken dinner.
    via highlander666666
  • nomad2284 My dog likes to naturally forage on chickens.
    via nomad2284
  • RavJade I'm sure there are regulations on the books for chicken ownership in neighborhoods in your community. Find them, learn them so you know your rights, then call the proper reporting authorities. I doubt there is anything that says "once you own chickens, they are allowed anywhere they want to roam" and there's probably guidelines on cooping, etc.
    via RavJade
  • MarcBeck Call animal control. Neighbor needs to fence in his livestock and unless you escalate the issue he's not going to do anything to keep his chickens in his yard.
    via MarcBeck
  • Grimaldehyde My neighbor's chickens used to free-range into our yard, but we didn't mind it-you DO mind it, so it's wrong. Incidentally, one day, when their chickens were in our yard (and I didn't know it), I let our dogs outside. When I went to let them back in, I realized that our Irish wolfhound/lab mix had one of their chickens in his mouth, and wanted to bring it inside. He hadn't killed it, just grabbed it and wanted to bring it into the house. I told the neighbor, and didn't see the chick
    via Grimaldehyde
  • Far-Cup9063 possession is 9 tenths of the law. chicken stew
    via Far-Cup9063
  • Tazmosis85 Assert dominance and eat one of his chickens. Tell him it was a free range rotisserie
    via Tazmosis85
  • VanessaAlexis Buy goats and let them have at his property. Buy traps and trap the chickens and call animal control. There's also livestock laws you could probably look up and have a leg up on chicken boy.
    via VanessaAlexis

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