Chicken Rustlers

[pdblake]

BBC NEWS | UK | England | Humber | Rustlers steal 500 hens from farm

And near(ish) me too

[Bramble-Poultry]

makes little sense - they have no real commercial value, most of this sort of brown hen only sell for between £1 and £5 per bird so not a large return for their effort. And then trying to sell off 500 hens raises a little suspicion!

[pdblake]

My thoughts too. My brown hens cost £5.50 each at POL, and delivered too.

It must have taken ages to load up 500 hens from a shed. I wonder if they've just seen the price of pure breeds on the internet and assumed that browns hens are just as expensive.

[Bramble-Poultry]

Or its a vindictive attak - someone who holds a grudge or dare I say it and insurance job!!

[pdblake]

Just noticed they're looking for a 4x4. I know they're big but getting 500 chooks in one might be a bit of a struggle.

I think you're right about it being more than just simple theft. It doesn't make sense.

[matthew2riches]

Agree pdblake. How they'd fit 500 chickens into a 4x4 is beyond me... even with a trailer!

I know of another farm near me that was rustled the other week. It seems to be quite common at the moment and not just from commercial sellers.

Hens stolen from allotments and gardens is on the increase also!

[TPeers]

But why the bracket dates? Does the farmer not check his flock every day?

[matthew2riches]

TPeers - Was just thinking that a little while ago.

Thefts are on the increase so be careful!

[kirsty b]

Agree pdblake. How they'd fit 500 chickens into a 4x4 is beyond me... even with a trailer!

I know of another farm near me that was rustled the other week. It seems to be quite common at the moment and not just from commercial sellers.

Hens stolen from allotments and gardens is on the increase also!

Something definitely suspect there!

I deliberately keep the entrance path to my gate quite treacherous to discourage unwanted visitors to my plot. The place is a death trap to anyone but me really cos I know every inch of it!!

[Bramble-Poultry]

Unfortunatley as Sue can vouch - chicken theft from gardens is very high, usually because the type of birds we all keep are a type that can fetch money. But sometimes as we have recently seen on here it is vindictive too.

Its of course not restricted to chickens, freinds of ours have a kennels where they breed pedigree crufts winning dogs - they had one stolen - silly thing to do really didn;t take long to find them because there are not many people in this country that have dogs like mine - you get spotted a mile off!!! tried to sell it and was spotted by someone in the loop - its a tight loop - everyone knows everyone.

[bluemoon]

I've heard something quite distressing today, it was while I was telling a colleague about my two cockerels being put into the same run by the vandals the other night, and she told me a dreadful tale about a group of 'people' trying to take a young man's dog from him, the police think to train fighting dogs on. The tale was so harrowing it had me in tears, it seems the young man managed to hang onto his dog, but was badly hurt himself in the process. In my innocence I really didn't know this type of thing went on in a so-called 'civilized' country.
Back to the 500 stolen hens, I can understand people stealing high value chickens, which I understand is also an increasing problem, but 500 bog-standard layers? The whole story is a little 'dodgy' if you ask me.