Having Urban Chickens will Attract predators.... HOGWASH!

After coming home from our vacation, I went to speak to our neighbours (chicken complainant).  They had threatened my Mom in front of my kids about our dog barking while walking by their house.  I decided that was enough of all this insanity.  The gentleman began telling me about how my birds feed is attracting fox, snakes and rats into the neighbourhood.  Funny thing is that he had told us in June, prior to us getting chickens, that he saw a fox running down the road!  This was back when he was petitioning against a feral cat cage going up at our local park.  (I will say, I signed that petition due to the fact that there is no evidence of the effects a feral cat cage would have on the neighbourhood and it was very unclear what the future plans were for upkeep of this cat cage.)  Seems to me like the neighbour likes to use some good old fashioned fear mongering to achieve his own agenda.  While discussing this issue with him I was very polite and just said "I will look into that and talk to Aaron about it tonight."  He has also been spreading his beliefs throughout the neighbourhood and gaining support.

What is astonishing to me is that people will take one mans word as factual evidence.  They listen to what he has to say and go off half cocked and complain about the birds.  Not to mention the fact that they are accusing me of endangering the children of this neighbourhood as well as my own which is something I find highly offensive.  The FACT of the matter is URBAN chickens nor their feed attract predators or vermin any more than a bird feeder hanging in ones tree, a trash can at the side of the house or a yorkshire terrier in ones yard. (We did plenty of research prior to getting our birds.)  I am not keeping 200 chickens in my yard.  We have 4 urban hens who attract no more predators or vermin than small dog breeds, cats, local rabbits, local birds and our trash cans.  I believe I gave many of my neighbours far too much credit.  I assumed that they would, at minimum, spend a few minutes researching urban chickens online prior to making complains or believing one mans opinion.  With the wealth of knowledge that the internet provides us there is no excuse for people not to take the time to educate themselves on an issue prior to jumping in head first.  I know they have not done any research because they will be hard pressed to find any research or evidence to support their claims.  I do understand their fears but that does not make them rational... like most fears, they tend to be anything but rational!  I, on the other hand, have done my research and can provide many links supporting my statement that:

"Urban Chickens do not attract predators!"  

Support of this statement can be found here:

http://www.eatwhereulive.com/chicken_ordinance_report.pdf

and here:

http://www.sailzora.com/Frequently_Asked_Questions.htm

and here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_chicken

and here:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/16509728/Changing-Your-Citys-Chicken-Laws

and here:

http://urbanchickens.org/files/Ordinance%20research%20paper.pdf

"ME? Attract Predators?  WHY I NEVER!"

... now, I could continue, but I think most readers will get my point. I can't leave out the fact that we do have many supporters in the neighbourhood.  When told about the claim that my chickens were attracting predators, many people did get a good laugh.  The most common response is "Do they not see where we live (as they point to the big open field), the predators have always been here!"

I am not denying that there may be an increase in predators and vermin in the area; this I am not arguing.  The thing here is, it is fall and locally we have had a record amount of rain!  RAIN!  YES RAIN!  A far more likely culprit for the increase in unwanted wildlife.  Rain causes the ground to get... WET and where do the vermin and predators go when the ground and bush are soaked???.... out of the bush and into residential areas!  UREKA!  We have a reasonable and rational cause!  Blaming my chickens for this is giving them far too much credit.  Plus, lets not forget the increase in local housing construction which is taking up plenty of the field area in which many vermin have their residence.   

Now, how do I go about informing my neighbours about their ignorance?  (I use the word "ignorance" lightly as it is defined as a state of being uninformed.  People often see it as something far more offensive.)  I do not have the time to stand at the end of my driveway and spout off to every person who happens to walk by.  I thought about hanging a flyer on the mailbox to help inform people but assume it would be ripped down... since people are so willing to listen to reason (sarcasm).  At this point, I think I will just leave things as they are and allow the neighbours to be ill informed and ignorant of the real issues.  I can only be bothered with educating my children and close friends and family... my neighbours can go on thinking whatever the heck they want; until they come to me with EVIDENCE of their claims, I have nothing else to say.... unless they bring it up of course.