Feral chickens a threat to farms, says top farmer
A farmer believes feral chickens threaten the island’s agriculture.
Tom Wadson, who has been running Wadson’s Farm for 50 years, said the birds “might look pretty, but they are an ecological disaster”.
He explained: “They pick their battles when it comes to crops, but when they decide they like something, [growers] might as well say, ‘oh well’.”
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources typically collects about 700 feral chickens, which are thought to have grown in number after coops were destroyed during Hurricane Emily in 1987, every month.
Mr Wadson said: “People who have them in their yard obviously don’t want them there, but don’t want to kill them. They dump them somewhere else all the time.
“The problem is out of control. They have got to create a repository where you take these birds and they are dealt with humanely. Who wants to take them from Paget to Warwick?”
His comments came after a spokesman for the Ministry of Public Works and the Environment said yesterday that the chickens’ population growth “significantly threatens agriculture, native wildlife and public health” in Bermuda.
He explained that the DENR was notified of “significant impacts on many fields of planted crops caused by feral chickens”.
The spokesman added: “Beyond farms, feral chickens have become a nuisance in public areas, frequently invading outdoor dining spaces and potentially spreading contaminants.”
He said birds migrating to the island could carry the Highly Pathogenic Avian Flu that chickens could catch and transmit to humans.
People who handle poultry and other birds or are immuno-compromised are more likely to catch the virus, which killed one person and infected 69 others in the United States as of 6pm yesterday.
Former Progressive Labour Party MP Walter Roban said in 2023 that feral chickens presented a “serious challenge to our agricultural industry”.
Mr Roban, then the Deputy Premier and Minister of Home Affairs, called shooting the birds a “necessary evil, unpleasant as it may seem”.
Robin Tucker, the One Bermuda Alliance MP for Hamilton South (Constituency 7), said at the time: “In addition to disturbing a peaceful night’s sleep, chickens are eating farmers’ fruits and vegetables intended for our tables and reportedly costing them tens of thousands of dollars in losses.
“In addition, these nuisances are pulling out trash awaiting a weekly pick-up and contributing to our rodent problem.”
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources advised people to:
• Not feed feral chickens or pigeons
• Not tamper with traps placed to capture feral chickens
• Dispose of food waste properly as open food sources attract feral chickens
• Not dump or relocate chickens
• Secure backyard poultry to prevent contact with wild birds
Visit www.environment.bm/feral-bird-control to report large populations of feral chickens
The Government outlined ways to address the issue in an updated feral chicken management plan.
This plan, published on Monday, discussed controlling the feral chicken population through “co-ordination of resources, prevention of infestations, rapid response to public control requests, control strategies, research and education”.
The Royal Gazette contacted the OBA for comment, but did not receive a response by press time.
Visit www.gov.bm/online-services/report-feral-bird-your-property for more information or to report feral chickens.
• To read the updated feral chicken management plan, see Related Media
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