Missing chicken

[Teenagemum71]

Our neighbour has access down our drive to the entrance of their drive, where they have large entrance gates that they don't close. To the side of our drive we have an area where we keep a few chickens. They had recently complained that one of the chickens kept getting out and wandering into their garden and eating their flowers and veg.
He asked if we wanted chicken wire to keep him in, I explained that the two chickens enjoy getting out into our own drive and scrabbling about in the gravel. He said jokingly we should put electric fencing round to sort them out. I suggested maybe he could close his driveway gates so the naughty one couldn't get into their garden.
Week later the chicken has disappeared. No where to be seen. Is it me being paranoid or has the neighbour been so cruel to take the chicken some where?

Oh dear ... my sympathies. My neighbour would also evilly dispose of my chickens if he could for similar reasons, but he's too much of a townie to catch them and wring their necks. I don't really know how you can find out though.

We had 2 chickens vanish into thin air several months apart in the middle of the day. I had all sorts of theories.

Then dc4 saw the fox in our garden chasing our last 2 chickens having killed and left 2 already

Nor do I other than guilt on his face if I mention it to him. Unfortunately he is a townie too! I'm thinking about getting a cockerel. Will keep the girls happy if not the neighbour!

I'm a chicken keeper but tbh I think it's a little odd to let them run free in an area where they can access another garden. Expecting him to keep his gates shut to keep your chickens from entering is a bit odd

Did wonder bout a fox but one of the other hens had also been out and she came back. There also wasn't any feathers left any where. We had lost all our chickens a few months earlier. The fox had killed them and just left them there. So we know they have been about but the other hen has been out in our drive every day since, she just doesn't venture into his drive!

Why is it a bit 'odd' to let the chickens roam if they get out onto our own property? We are well back from roads, down a long track and he just has access over our drive to his own. The hens have a large area enclosed. We keep their wings clipped but just two out of the four still manage to get over the gate.

You're expecting him to close his gates to stop your chickens walking into his property. I feel responsible for providing perimeter fencing to keep my chickens on my land. I don't expect my neighbours to provide it.

If you don't want your chickens to wander, with all of the dangers that entails, then you need to restrict their movements.
Having said that, we had two 'banties' when I was young who used to 'free-range' and roost in the hedge behind our garden. No-one had a problem with it because it was paddocks and they always came home anyway.

Yes, free range is free range. And if you had a cat you wouldn't be able to prevent it from access neighbours' gardens. Why are hens any different? They probably have pheasants, pigeons and rabbits in their garden now and again so the odd hen doesn't make much difference.

One of my neighbours (5 doors down) said my ducks sit on top of their house! I started apologising, but she said they love looking at them.

its either the neighbour or he who cannot be named. either way, if you don't want it to happen again then you have to restrict their roaming. I would be pretty fed up if my neighbours cat came in my garden. if its your pet keep it where you live.

Hi OP. Did you ever find your lost chicken?