It appears we have an explosion of feral chickens everywhere on Oahu and the other islands as well. We've seen them and smiled at the mother hens with their cute little chicks.
However, I'm seeing a bit of a problem too.
A lot of hens are scratching the dirt and groundcover next to the sidewalks, leaving a huge mess down the length of the walkways. I guess they're looking for food, but I wonder why they're choosing the area near the sidewalk. I think a problem could arise if it caused erosion from all the groundcover they are scratching up.
Sigh... ah well...
However, I'm seeing a bit of a problem too.
A lot of hens are scratching the dirt and groundcover next to the sidewalks, leaving a huge mess down the length of the walkways. I guess they're looking for food, but I wonder why they're choosing the area near the sidewalk. I think a problem could arise if it caused erosion from all the groundcover they are scratching up.
Sigh... ah well...
I remember seeing them over the years ever since the hurricane released them from the chicken farms. They are invaders in the wild and even compete with the other native bug eaters, I am sure.
ReplyDeleteWhat an unusual problem
ReplyDeleteAre the roosters crowing at all hours of the day, too? When Dan was in Puerto Rico on a mission trip last April he was amazed by the chickens running wild. The roosters were a constant noise starting very early.
ReplyDeleteInteresting
ReplyDeleteVery interesting,is right! My problem is feral cats..not chickens
ReplyDeletei'm sure there must be more insects and bugs and worms in the moist dirt near the sidewalks.
ReplyDeleteI think chickens are fun to watch but I can see how they are kicking stuff all over the sidewalks.
ReplyDeleteMy older sister once had chickens in her yard, and her advice to me was: Never get chickens. So I never have and don't know a thing about them. We have wild geese around us, though, which probably is a similar issue. Good luck and enjoy the view!
ReplyDeleteWow I've never even heard of feral chickens! They do seem to be doing quite a bit of damage... a few months ago a couple of wild turkeys were seen gobblin' down my neighborhood's main street & people were running for cover like it was a pair of alligators!
ReplyDeleteKay on a totally unrelated note.. I was on your post 'Magnets From Our Travels' and WOW--you really have been everywhere! Very impressive, just wanted to say I loved your collection. :)
Feral chickens is a new one for me.
ReplyDeleteOh my. We don't have that problem here!!! Although, the neighbours chickens are often on their driveway.
ReplyDeleteAnd runaway chickens are so hard to catch!
ReplyDeleteI found the chickens and cats in Maui rather spooky.
ReplyDeleteWe have crows doing the same thing here, along walkways, but also in lawns, which they rip up.
ReplyDeleteI saw lots of feral chickens and roosters on Kauai. One outdoor restaurant had lots of green bushes on the perimeter of their patio, but hidden under the bushes was chicken wire fencing in order to keep them off of the patio. The roosters are pretty, but some visitors have learned not to book at certain resorts because being woken so early in the morning doesn't make for a very happy visitor.
ReplyDeleteOne beachfront ground level condo I stayed at on Kauai had beautiful areas of lawns with bushes in their perimeters. I saw the groundskeeper one day spraying around the bushes (probably to deter insects,) but i asked if he was spraying for roosters. He laughed and said he wished there was such a spray. Inside the garden areas at the resort, I've seen weird little trap-looking things tucked into the bushes. The groundskeepers said it was to catch rats!
Maybe your conservation department can tell you how to keep the "adorable" chickens away from your neighborhood. And I was wondering why they can't be rounded up and processed to eat to help the "soup kitchens" for the poor folks. Or, gather the hens for laying eggs. Linda in Kansas
I never heard of feral chickens before. I wonder if they could be given some areas that belong to them so they wouldn't be such a problem.
ReplyDeleteI don't see many here.
ReplyDelete