Accident

[pottyaboutveg]

Hi

I am very concerned as we live near a very busy dual carriageway and a couple of the hens have taken to free ranging on the grass area near the road. (we have tried clipping wings ect but they just jump). My question is if the hens strayed onto the road and this caused an accident would we be liable??? I know we could be if it were a dog is this the same if it were a hen???

Very worried

Potty

[Nicos]

I'm pretty sure it'd be you for allowing them to escape.

Might be worth checking on your house insurance that you are covered( just in case)

....but I think you'll need to stop them somehow cos you'd never forgive yourself if someone swerved, crashed , and was injured...or even died

[shirlthegirl43]

I would be looking to fence better for my own peace of mind if nowt else. It doesn't have to be a particularly strong barrier to put the hens off crossing it - just high enough to inconvenience them.

[Suechooks]

Hi

I am very concerned as we live near a very busy dual carriageway and a couple of the hens have taken to free ranging on the grass area near the road. (we have tried clipping wings ect but they just jump). My question is if the hens strayed onto the road and this caused an accident would we be liable??? I know we could be if it were a dog is this the same if it were a hen???

Very worried

Potty

As Nicos says you probably need to check/update your insurance to cover any problems/accidents. I think I'd be looking to confine them to a run which they couldn't jump out of. Remember if the hens can jump out , then a fox can jump in. I read somewhere that we have a duty of care to keep poultry safe from dangers/ predators etc.

[Two_Sheds]

Free-ranging chooks ... Has anyone not from Norfolk heard of this? Sally Traffic has mentioned them on R2
Chicken Roundabout

We used to love driving past to see the chickens which have lived on the roundabout for many years, but they've all been removed now

[Flummery]

Brilliant link Two Sheds. Shame they've gone, but it obviously takes human intervention to keep feeding them.

[Hilary B]

I think that chickens have the same legal status in this regard as cats. Dogs are supposed to be controllable, cats and poultry are rather less easy to keep within bounds....

[SarzWix]

Even if legally you aren't liable, morally, knowing that this could happen, you should do something about it. If it was a quiet country road that's one thing, but on a dual carriage-way, as Nicos said, a swerve or sudden braking could cause injuries or deaths. I know you wouldn't want that to happen