I have to provide dollar values to the town assessor for my adult Auricauna and Black Australorp chickens;and eventually juvenile and adult Buff geese.She won't take my word asto the values.My neighbor's loose husky killed a bunch.Once the Town[and eventually the County]get the bill,they'll[hopefully]pay me for my losses and try to get it from the dog's owner.My only other recourse is to sue the owner. Authorities[and the media] locally frown about dogs getting executed on the spot.It's extremely difficult to find anyone this time of year,who will provide me pricing on the birds[including shipping]. Hopefully by getting a high enough bill,the dog owner will restrain or relocate his mutt.If I can I'm going to replace those birds. Please help. Thanks,Karl

-- Karl Bechler (kbechler@frontiernet.net), August 15, 2000

Answers

Karl, lets remember the dog doesn't know any better . How about relocating the owner ? As for price do a web search and ask local hatcherys .

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@slic.com), August 15, 2000.

Laying hens sell for about $2 each around here. Cocks usually have to be given away. A "special" hen, ie. rare to your parts, might bring $4. I paid $10 once for a winner at the national show, some of those sell for $100, but remember they are winners at a NATIONAL level. A friend sold me the one for $10. Good luck.

-- Anne (HT@HM.com), August 15, 2000.

Might be worth costing 1). acquisition cost 2). cost to raise (food, medication, etc) to age when killed 3). Allowance for losses during 1&2 4). Allowance for culling of bad stock during 1&2 5). Loss of production (eggs to buy) until replacements are raised to same age. 6). Time and labour (or in your case labor) during this whole process.

Also state that they were effectively pets, raised from chickens, so that a $2 cull or cast-off from someone else would not be an adequate replacement. In fact, you would be within your rights to claim for the mental stress and anguish of having your pets killed. This is not to try and get all this - you would be entitled to it, but would have to get involved with lawyers to claim it. It would be to try and ensure that they didn't discount what you could get through the local council.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), August 16, 2000.

Your local 4H chapter might be able to help.

-- john leake (natlivent@pcpros.net), August 16, 2000.

I just bought 5 Black Australorp pullets and a rooster from some neighbor kids, a couple weeks or so back. One or two of them were grand champion at the local 4-H fair. I gave $4 each for them, happily. The hens are all laying now - I get 4, 5 or sometimes 6 eggs a day. I also got one Rhode Island Red hen at the same time from the same source - yesterday got a giant double yolker!! I would have given them $5 or more for an Auracuna - just for the colored eggs - but the kids wouldn't part with them!

As to the geese, sorry, I can't help you there. I know the eggs are valued in the Asian community around here - Mom used to sell all we could get. It would be very hard to come up with a value when you took into consideration the eggs, etc... I didn't eal with chickens and other fowl when I was a 4-H leader, but some of their more advanced poultry projects might have some tips on acertaining value. Our 4-H is out of the Cooperative Extension Service office - they might be able to help you, also.

Sorry about the loss of your birds - I do hope you get your replacements soon!

-- Polly (tigger@moultrie.com), August 16, 2000.

I think that Buff Geese go for $8 to $10 each as day olds. I would not willing settle for less than $10 each for the chickens.

Go to www.feathersite.com and look at the listings of poultry houses, or you might be able to contact the guy that runs the site and get some prices for your birds. He shows poultry, I think. If nothing else, you should be able to get some day old prices and start multiplying. Get insistent about this to the city and the dog owner. Tell them that you time and your feed are worth MONEY. The squeaky wheel gets the grease, so squeak loudly. I'm afraid that if you don't really get in their faces over this, they will just blow it off. People who don't buy and raise their own poultry don't value it properly.

-- Green (ratdogs10@yahoo.com), August 16, 2000.

Around here (Maine) productive young laying hens are worth $5. Roosters are considered "soup chickens", but still worth $1.50. You must, of course, find a willing buyer. As concerns the dog, we have, in our neighborhood, a dog that killed 20 chickens, including a very good mama with a clutch of 8 chicks, all mine. Did I mention that he was running, and although I am a good pistol shot, he was @ 60 yards away? OH! and he is no longer a threat to my livestock, what with having only 3 legs. In conclusion, what is his dog worth to him? I would guess that's about what your chickens are worth to you! GL!

-- Brad (Homefixer@SacoRiver.net), August 17, 2000.

Karl- I know I may cause a stir with this......Having lost several purebred Romanov ewes, only weeks from lambing, to the neighbors cute little doggies I have begun to practice the 3S form of animal control- Shoot Shovel and Shut-up. Now my years of dog problems seem to be getting better.(It is legal here- If YOU feel they pose a threat to you or your property while they are on your property.) If your neighbor loved his dog so much, the dog would be kept at home. I would imagine your relationship with this "neighbor" has been ruined already.

-- Terri Perry (stuperry@stargate.net), August 17, 2000.

i agree w/ the 3's you wont get what they are worth to you. there was a dog coming around looking for chickens my pyr. male let him know he was not welcomed i let the owners know. he still came around, my animals are worth to much to me to let fight so out came the gun and shovel, it was hard to look at the missing posters they moved back to the city where things are more "civil" ha ha

-- renee oneill (oneillsr@home.com), August 17, 2000.

Don, just FYI, round here that $2 price isn't for culls. Its just the going rate...lots of chickens bought and sold. Unsexed Salmon Faverolles sell for $1 for day-old chicks, from winning, healthy stock.

-- Anne (HT@HM.com), August 17, 2000.

Hi Karl, I came home one night and found a few of my hens killed in the yard. I was really upset and asked my husband if he saw anything. He said he say a black mix breed in the yard. The next morning I found 10 hens dead in the yard. I was so hurt and angry. Two days later I worked in my garden all day and that night I was in my potting shed and smelled something and looked around and found my first broody hen and her 5 babies dead under my potting shed, I was torn apart. My husband came running when he heard me crying and it just so happened that the boys also saw the dog on the driveway. I derived great satifaction when my husband loaded his 20 gauge. I asked him not to shoot to kill the first time and he scared him off. The dog hasn't been back. I was so upset, the hens (what was left) didn't lay for 2 weeks. Since that time I have had 4 broody hens and 2 chicks. I am healed but if the dogs ever returns I will take my revenge. Karole

-- Karole (Bi3boymom@aol.com), August 21, 2000.