UPDATE: Argh!!! Children!!!

[Ladyhawke1]

Vfem...You need more target practice! It's sad how kids are today. I don't blame you for hating kids! But, I always blame the parents. They don't teach the kids any manners, probably because it takes work and they are too lazy and don't care.

Even, if you have proof of who the culprits are, I'm not sure that anything would actually be done. But I guess you have to try. It's just so frustrating when you do all the work and then their are no consequences.

Some of you probably have too large lots to fence. But I bet barb wire would work! But, then again, it might look like you are living in a prison!

Mary

Not if you tie colorful little ribbons on it! Moreover, if the kids get caught in it and authorities call it an attractive-nuisance, just say...they were warning signs. (Wink! Wink! To the audience.)

 

[ducks4you]

Whitewater wrote:We have a fence. 2' worth of cement blocks, and 3' of wire on top of that on the one side, on our yard side, a 4' chain link. Can't electrify it, as much as I *dearly* want to, we'd be sued by the parents in half a heartbeat if one of their kids got zapped.

It is YOUR property, and intruders have no rights to health and safety on your property. Also, A N Y B O D Y can sue or threaten to sue--I'm married to an attorney--but it costs money to file a suit. That usually stops many people from doing it. FILING a law suit is never a guarantee that you will win, and most are lost.
Plus, you don't know what they will do or say until they say or do it, right? I suggest enclosing the perimeters of your garden only with electric wire. There were plenty of times I got zapped by the livestock fencing used where I used to keep my horses. Although I complained about it, I didn't get a heart attack or anything. SHOULD you feel it necessary to justify your electric fence, say it's there to keep out raccoons and rabbits.

What I am *actually* thinking of doing is finding a cheap game camera setup to work day/night with multiple cameras Since I don't know who did it, nobody's allowed on my property." I know that sometimes with kids you have to be blunt.

Always fun to have, and you could use it for something else later on, or sell it.

I also know that this child has been agitating every time she sees me to look at my chickens and that the pepper in question was the one directly in line with where they would have stood to get a good look at the coop. This girl tends to come around shortly after dusk (9pm, shouldn't she be getting ready for bed at that time?) and of course, the chickens are already in bed by then.

Tell her, "NO!". Then ignore her as if she had left. Here parents SHOULD be concerned that she might be abducted...or worse--too bad.
YOUR chickens won't hurt her. I keep my 3 horses on the west side of town, and my new fencing can be crawled through--I stand a better chance of a neighbor kid being hurt, but I don't worry about it.

The other thing I've been thinking about doing is making a laminated No Tresspassing sign. If nothing else, it will satisfy legal requirements

Make it and leave it up until it falls to pieces.

Oh, and I'd love to present a bill to the parents -- if I knew which household was responsible. It would only be for about $15, but I make $850/month -- that's expensive to me

Yes!! A bill makes it clear that they are responsible, even if they are bad neighbors as well as bad parents, and ignore your bill. Keep pictures and keep track of the damage. If they do NOT respond, take them to small claims court, but check on your county's filing fees to make sure you can swing it. USUALLY letters make an impact.

 

[elf]

My father used to get so mad at trespassing deer hunters who climbed his barb wire fence like a ladder, which stretches and ruins it. They probably had gloves on. For kids it's easy enough to shimmy under or between strands. Now chainlink with razorwire on top looped like at prisons might just do it. But it would be costly.