compensation for dog killed chickens

[Mojo]

My neighbor's dog just killed six of our chickens. Four were chicks just last year and their eggs have just sized up in the last couple of months. One was an older hen and the other, the roo. My neighbor is quite remorseful and I am wondering what compensation should be asked? I don't want to "soak" him but geez...you raise them under heat lamps for about 5 weeks, you wait about 6 months to get an egg, you wait for the eggs to get bigger to sell them, you clean the coop, you run the electric cord out to add light and keep water from freezing, I feed organic....These hens were on a roll laying beautiful eggs that I sell. What is fair? I guess nothing is fair for the poor chickens.

 

[desireefawn]

Oh gosh, I bet your neighbour feels terrible

Maybe they could just replace your babies in chicks? I know that's hardly enough, but I'm sure they'd be willing.
So sorry this happened!

 

[jason_mazzy]

$20 a chicken minimum. it will cost you much more to reraise them, and about that to find some. If you order from thr right hatchery like shooks in NC you can by 18 week old pullets for $7.

 

[jason_mazzy]

At the current average cost of comercial feed it will cost you THIS:

This is an "average" example of what it will cost to rear 25 chicks from hatch to 18 weeks old.

Pullet Chick Price "Average Cost" $2.05 each - 25 x $2.05 x 1.1 = $56.38 lose of 3 chicks = 22 chicks at $2.56 per chick

Feed per 50lbs "Average Cost" $12.00 = $0.24 per lb x 24lbs (Light Breeds) = $5.76 per pullet
Feed per 50lbs "Average Cost" $12.00 = $0.24 per lb x 32lbs (Heavy Breeds) = $7.68 per pullet

Vaccinations and Medications "Average Cost" $1.23 per pullet - "use only if you plan on vacc/med"

Brooder House/Box, 1 Lamp, 1 Heat Bulb, 1 Waterer, 1 Feeder, 2 Bags of Shavings "Average Cost" $100.00 = $4.55 per pullet

Labor "Average Cost" Minimum Wage Law $7.25 per hour - 30 minutes a day = $3.63 x 126 days "18 weeks" $457.38 = $20.79 per pullet
You can pay yourself less if you want too. $2.50 a day x 126 days = $315.00 divided by 22 = $14.32 per pullet
Maybe you work for free = $0.00 per pullet - (We have plenty of work for you if you work for free)

Electricity for a 250 watt Heat Bulb "Average Cost" $0.60 per day x 49 days "7 weeks" $29.40 divided by 22 = $1.34 per pullet


22 Chicks Reared to 18 Weeks Old using everything listed above except vacc/med with the minimum wage law.
Light Breeds Price - $35.00 per pullet x 22 = 770.00 "Average Cost"
Heavy Breeds Price - $36.92 per pullet x 22 = $812.24 "Average Cost"

 

[calista]

Thanks, Jason, for the work you put into those calculations to arrive at a fair replacement cost per bird! I intend to save this in case I ever have to present this kind of "bill" to one of my own neighbors.

I hope this helps the OP make a decision and that showing these calculations to the neighbor will prevent any misunderstandings or hard feelings.

 

[Mojo]

Yes, thanks. That was lots of calculating. Did you say that included the time? Calista, what is an OP?

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

what is an OP?

Original Post or Original Poster

The first post in any thread​

 

[pinkwindsong]

from living next to a hard to get along with neighbor on both sides of my farm.... question is... do you want to get along with these neighbors the more you charge them the more the will not be friendly in the future. having them replace the chicks of equal value and breeds. and by all means make sure that they prove that the dog can and will be restrained. cause he'll do it again..
good luck its a touchy subject
blessed be )O(
Pink

 

[Black Cochin Bantams]

Quote:
Herein lies one of the problems with dogs is that they don't kill one chicken. They kill in multiples. Thank God you have a neighbor that will take responsibility. I probably would not soak him too hard,$20-25 per bird and let him know that these are the figures I will use if I ever have to deal with this again. He will think he can get by for $5-7 per bird because that is what a commercial meat bird cost in the store. Those are only 6-8 week old birds of an entirely different type. Also let them know that it will be reported to law enforcement/animal control. Then if it happens again there is a record that this dog is a repeat offender. This is the only 2nd chance this dog gets.

 

[GarlicEater]

Quote:
That's my price, $20 a bird. Also once the perpetrator (letter-looser of predatory dogs) has to pay for his actions, they tend to get a lot more careful very soon. I'd double the price if you have to take 'em to small claims court.