22,500 Feral Chickens Culled Over Past 3 Years
Over 22,500 feral chickens have been culled over the past three years, the Department of Conservation Services said.
In their recent statement highlighting National Invasive Species Awareness Week, the Dept. said, “In 2014 the Department of Conservation Services culled 7,820 feral chickens island-wide; this compares to 7,332 in 2013.
“In total over 22,500 feral chickens have been culled over the past 3 years.
“Likewise, 845 feral pigeons were culled by the Department in 2014; while 741 were culled in 2013. Additionally, 82 crows were culled in 2014; while 89 were culled in 2013.
“The Department of Conservation Services uses a Cabinet approved integrated pest management strategy for this, where their experienced technical officers assess the species and the conditions at each reported site and determine the most efficient method[s] to address the problem.
“Their methods include a variety of traps, nets, licensed shooting and use of sedative bait. The Department follows health and safety procedures designed to give the best results while minimizing risk to pets, non-target species and to the environment.”
Back in 2012, the Government estimated that there were over 30,000 chickens roaming the island and said those “numbers continue to grow.”
In 2013, the Government said that a management plan to control feral chickens examined the possibilities of them as a potential resource, however the conclusion was that it would not be cost effective.
“The conclusion was that the quality of the meat from feral chickens is very low, while the cost of preparation is very high, in comparison to what can be purchased in a local grocery store. This is due predominantly to the low fat content of a feral chicken compared to that of cooped chickens,” the Government said at that time.
Earlier this month the Protection of Birds Amendment Act was tabled in the House of Assembly, which seeks to amend the Act to define “pest bird” — which feral chickens were included as — and expand the powers of the Minister to authorize any person to control or destroy any bird in certain cases.
The Act, as tabled in the House, repeals the definition of conservation officer and inserts the definition of authorized officer which includes any person authorized by the Minister, and makes related amendments to clarify that a firearm may be used and that an ammunition licence may be issued in connection with Government approved and supervised pest control.
Read More About
Category: All, Environment, News
Good now when do we start goin after pigeons, sparrows and starlings?
Nooooooo!!!! Not the starlings!!!
Seriously though, the pigeons do need to be dealt with. Can’t be good for tank water, and they’re definitely no good for our longtails.
What birds are good for tank water?
On the topic of culling birds….
Was that snowy owl culled and will that Razorbill spotted on the great sound be culled too ?
The main problem is that pigeons are – I understand – more likely to gather, and in greater numbers, (and thus defecate) on roofs than other birds.
Snowy owls would only be killed if seen to threaten our cahows and longtails (as has happened in the past). Otherwise they’re monitored until they head home.
I don’t think the razorbill constitues a pest or a menace?
It’s crazy how some birds are considered special and get to live while some are deemed not to be and therefore must die. This is eerily similar to the way that guy with the mustache thought back in the 1940′s and we see what happened there. Health risks aside, who are we to decide what species get to live? I can’t wait to see how this gets defended…
I’d like to defend it but it seems it won’t be worthwhile trying to explain the difference between invasive, possible disease carrying , crop destroying , noisy pests and endemics with someone who should already know the difference.
I’ve heard this (that some birds should live and some should die) applied to birds that are deemed ‘common’ as opposed to birds that are ‘special’ such as the cahow. Disease doesn’t even come into it-that’s just an excuse. It all sounds like eugenics applied to animals, to me. Sad.
Note I clearly said ‘health risks aside’…I’m talking about when there is no health risk involved.
really, that is the comparison you use. Pigeons and feral chickens numbers are kept at bay because of the impact they have on crops and expenses on clean up, they are not eradicated like that guy with the mustache wanted to do.
@ Hmmm
This is a decoy to get our minds on the budget eh!
How to win an argument ! ” change the subject”.
I’ve appealed countless time to the former P.L.P. Government as well as the One Bermuda Alliance to have cages place around the Island in the areas of the free range chickens and then once captured and collected take them to Pender Hill Prison Farm where they can be utilized, providing eggs to the Co-Ed Prison as well as the Prison Farm.
Once the numbers increase they can eventually be served for dinner. What’s wrong with this idea of saving the dollars that are spent annually on eggs and chicken meat?
Was done in the past, but costs for feed to fatten them up enough to eat and medicines and vet bills to eradicate parasites etc. cost much more than the supermarket chickens of higher quality and that was with “free” labour.
Many of the feral chickens are bantams so eggs are very small and there is not much meat, but agree to idea of trying to use the eggs and meat somehow- feeding the BFAB cats perhaps ( with disease free ones).
@J starling
We should be cleaning and treating our water tanks regard less.
Tanks : Clean every 5 years or less.
Treatment: 1/4 cup Clorox per 1,000 gallons of water.
Do not treat a dirty tank.
Most tank will yield 7 to 10 buckets of sludge.
Hurricanes : Pollute tank water.
Feral chickens are the best, they’re ORGANIC.
they said you can’t eat them….I do and they’re not bad either.
Well enjoy eating trash, animal guts, pesticides, and many other things people throw to d side of d road lmfao. Not the best to eat bra…but go head!
Free range and organic.
Here’s an idea! Set-up a chicken process plant and ship the packaged chicken parts to the east coast as Bermuda Free Range Chicken, 100% naturally raised and grazed in picturesque Bermuda. The packaging should have vacation images of Bermuda as advertising in USA grocery stores. I wonder if the BTA will give me start-up capital?
I DON”T WANT TO BE IN A PIE!!!!
Run chicken run!
Now the cats.
Tasty organic feral chicken full of parasites, worms, & mites.
they taste like church worms
With what looks like VAT coming to us in the near future, and the budget cuts I am guessing that this one area within the government departments which could be cut. The population of Bermuda will take care of this task for the government for obvious reasons.
exactly what i see coming…get a coup built Bermuda.
Only 22,500 feral chicken in the past three years. And with probably more than that numbers of chicks surviving the hatchings. So, let us see Cullers – 0
Feral chickens – 22,500.
So we are no further ahead than we were 3 years ago. Wonderful.
With the austerity measures and increase in taxes I will need to use these wild chickens as food. And with the 10% discount ending at the supermarkets all the more reason to eat free wild meat.
clucking ‘ell …..
No need for fowl language here.
Don’t egg him on.
Don’t worry, the yolk’s on him …
That’s quite un oeuf.
Hmmmmm…Was wondering why the Aquarium alligators are looking so fat & happy.
Is this the best use of the Cons Services scientists’ time (at postgraduate govt staff wage)? Couldn’t the dog catcher do this?
Encouraged. And what of the feral cat population? We’re not there yet. Feral cats remain a significant issue. Notwithstanding the good work being done by BFAB, are we to accept that cat feeding stations all over the island will be the norm for ever and a day?
There are way too many diseased looking feral cats running around in the central parishes. Everytime I look there is a new litter of kittens pulling apart trash bags with their parents leaving trash for the birds and rats to pick at throughout the day.
Good work by BFAB? They merely perpetuate the problem.
Yes, please can we do something about the feral cats? Feeding and spaying them is not the answer. If there were dogs roaming all over the island people would have a lot to say.
Well if you killed 22,500 chickens they must be f***** like rabbits cuz their’s still a whole lot of them left lool!
Instead of culling, these chickens should have just agreed to a furlough day!
What if we catch these feral chickens, make them fat, and then eat them? Saw something about a coup up top, we can build one of Dunkleys farms or something. It’ll make Bermuda more self-reliant when it comes to food also.
and what about the diseases and parasites they carry
How does one get a license to shoot? And what exactly does one shoot? a b b gun or air soft?
Gives a new meaning to Feral Chickens Day Off.
Now Buck up people.
Get them nets out and turn the range on and let make some real KFC (recipe to follow).
That’s right KFC.
Kill F***** Chickens………..
I need a rum.
How about giving poor KFC a break, they have to pay the payroll tax again. Let them collect them, and resell them. Should then also free up a few government employees at the same time.
These are PRCs. Permanent Resident Chickens.
Give them Status so they can buy property and stimulate the real estate market.
Don’t kill our feral animal (chickens, ducks, pigeons, rats etc.) we will need the protein as more of countrymen fall to the recession. That feral chicken will feed a family for a few days. We just need to start keeping more chicken coups in our backyard. Pigeon heart stew is great.
Sorry not rats cats…dogs are great too.
Sorry not in Bermuda Culture
Birds bring song and happiness to the Bermuda garden.
It would make more sense if Government would deal with the mosquito and Argentina ant problem.
Would be nice if we could make a processing plant here in Bda, but we all know that the chicken would end up being twice the cost of chicken imported – even though it was provided for free.
Same happened to Barritt’s – they used to put water into bottles – but eventually found it was cheaper to bring bottled water all the way from the USA than have a Bermudian fill the bottle up and put the lid on.
True story.
Save me from those “muscle” guys!
Really? Wow! Okay get the Cats and Bums next since you just wanna go kill Chickens and Pigeons..
Funny how people will brag about dining on ocean scavengers like feral lobsters and feral shrimps at a restaurant because these are considered to be delicacies, but will turn up their noses at the mere thought of eating land scavengers like feral chickens. Perhaps it’s our mindset, hmmm…
Store bought Chicken.
A Baby chick hatched on Jan 1st and winds up under plastic in a carton by March 1st.
How do you think it got that way in such a short amount of time ?
HORMONES and a bunch of other chemicals we cant spell !
What do you get when you eat chicken? it is your choice , how about
Over weight !