Neighborhood kid advice

[Cumberland]

We have a huge group of 5-12 year old neighborhood kids that play together after school. It is a very safe neighborhood, so usually they just walk to each other's yards and play. I can hear their moms calling for them when they need to come home. We live in the crappiest house in the neighborhood and most of these kids are well off with nice parents. Off topic, I would NEVER let my 5 year old wander around the neighborhood unsupervised but I digress.

So they found out I have chickens, and have been coming over to visit. I made sure to tell each of them in polite but no uncertain terms that they can never go in the backyard without me there. I even had them repeat it back to me. So today the doorbell rang, and as a test, I didnt answer, and sure enough they went into the backyard unsupervised. I went and got them, walked them home and talked politely to the mom. It was the first time I had met her and I felt like a jerk. I had heard from my chicken sitter that over Christmas some of them were going back there but I just ignored it since I didnt see it.

We dont have dogs, but we do have mean chickens who will bite and a pool. My dad told me we need to keep the backyard locked and think about getting an umbrella policy- around 500 bucks a year. DH says the chickens will go before we do that, but still I am worried about it them coming in anyways. And I dont know how to keep them out again. And I dont want to be the neighborhood grinch. Any easy solutions?

I think it is good you talked to their mom. I hate when that happens with neighbors -- meeting for the first time to discuss neighbor-y issues.

Is your backyard fenced? Just my opinion, but I agree with your dad that with a pool you need a secure fence.

We have an umbrella liability policy and it is much less than that. I can't remember exactly because it is rolled into our homeowners policy but it is much less than $500. Guessing from memory, it is around $30-50 a year for $500K per incident.

[Cumberland]

It is fenced with a 6 ft stockade fenced. The fence opener has a lock on the inside, DH went and locked it tonight, and he went to two other houses with kids and talked to their parents as well. I can just see some kid getting bitten by the chickens and then Iwill have to get rid of them bc of a trespassing kid.

I think you should consider getting an umbrella policy. We have one, but I can't remember how much we pay. A friend of our family raised chickens in their backyard. Long story short....one of their neighbors sued them claiming that the chickens were causing their daughter to have breathing problems. You just never know what someone might try to pull, especially with your husband being a "dawkter." It would be a good idea to have one whether you have chickens or not.

So does that mean you have guard chickens?

Mine don't bite but I figured they can't bite that hard. Does it hurt?

[Laker]

Eat the chickens and problem solved.

[Cumberland]

True, but then I would lose my egg supply

[Laker]

Oh, you can't have that. Electrified fence?