Wild Chickens

Peter: 11th Apr 2006 - 14:28 GMT

wow, these are some lovely photos! you gotta love such sunny, baby-animal pics :) thanks for the post!!

Catherine Penfold-Waxman: 11th Apr 2006 - 15:39 GMT

What beautiful birds. And very nicely captured.

elaine: 11th Apr 2006 - 16:04 GMT

i especially love the 'now you see them now you don't'

Island Flower: 6th Jul 2006 - 22:14 GMT

You probably wouldn't think they were so beautiful if they were outside YOUR window at 3a sounding off...

Island Flower: 6th Jul 2006 - 22:33 GMT

... yassir... gotta smuggle me in some mongeese one of these balmy, tropical nights...

Geoff B: 26th Oct 2006 - 01:14 GMT

Generaly the "fighting cocks" of the Philippines have there combs cut off with a razor when they are chicks.Stops the other oponent cock getting a hold.

Melissa Joy : 26th Nov 2006 - 20:22 GMT

The chickens made my trip! I love them... I took a bunch of pictures of them while i was in Kauai in March

Mona Haggstrom: 4th Mar 2007 - 19:08 GMT

I hope nobody smuggles a mongoose to Kauai. Those are beautiful birds. I love chickens because they are fun to watch and they lay those beautiful eggs.

ian: 16th May 2007 - 14:51 GMT

wow. this is awsome. i never knew there where so many wild chickens in one spot!

ian: 16th May 2007 - 14:55 GMT

by the way island flower, dont smuggle in those mongeese!

Island Flower: 16th May 2007 - 17:38 GMT

Fine, but im a gonna get me some roasted chicken!!...

rose peatel: 9th Jul 2007 - 19:53 GMT

the second to botom chicken strikes me to be very odd

rose peatel: 9th Jul 2007 - 19:54 GMT

it looks like it has resantly breeded with a mongoose
(i have been doing my reaserch)

SCARED SUSIE!!: 7th Oct 2007 - 04:13 GMT

OMG! After booking a trip to kauai, i was told of the wild chickens. I was hesitant to believe such a tale, because i am deathly afraid of poultry!!!!!!! Too bad my tickets are non-refundable!

EvilGentleman: 7th Oct 2007 - 05:23 GMT

I never noticed this article before, but I think I was posting like 10 articles a day when this one came out, so maybe that explains why.

Interesting how people want the chickens preserved, most likely due to the fact that while chickens are easily the most populous of the creatures domesticated by man, it is rare to see them in the wild.

But the fact still remains that these animals do not belong on Kauai. They are not indigenous to Hawaii, and thus are disruptive to the ecosystem. I would suggest either eradicating them from the island completely, or fencing off a few square miles as a wild chicken preserve, and capturing and cooking the rest.

Remember, if the alien chickens are thriving, some native plant and/or animal species are being reduced by either being excessively eaten or having to compete for a food source. Given the diversity of species found on Hawai'i, it is entirely possible that species unknown to science are being driven to extinction as we speak.

Kill the chickens! Send in Peter Griffin, the world's greatest chicken fighter!

Elicar: 7th Oct 2007 - 09:16 GMT

These "wild chickens" you are talking of happen to be the best tasting chicken there is. The meat is a little bit tougher than the antibiotics or whatever crap-fed chicken, but it is very good for chicken stews. The eggs taste the same as "regular eggs".

Here in the Philippines, it is grown by farmers in their backyards. We call them "natives". You cannot find the meat in the grocery store. If one wants a native chicken, he either has to go to a farm or go to a "wet market" (open market) to try and find one. The breed is dying a slow death in the country where it is called "native".

Having a native chicken stew is one of the highlights of my vacations here.

There is nothing scary about them, but the hens will protect their chicks if they feel threatened.

D. Smokey: 8th Oct 2007 - 22:02 GMT

I just returned from Kauai yesterday and I thought the chickens were a hoot. There are definatley more colorful than the ones I've seen here on the mainland. I was suprised that I did not see a lot of chicken dishes offered at the restaurants.

Malcolm Read: 31st Dec 2007 - 08:13 GMT

We see thousands of chickens and you would think that eggs would be in abundance under bushes, behind trees, near buildings, on the grass, etc., etc., around the island. But, there are no eggs to be seen, what the heck happens to all the eggs???

emma: 16th Jan 2008 - 14:09 GMT

we own some chickens and they realy do keep you up, somtimes.

gator1: 7th Feb 2008 - 00:02 GMT

yeah uld love to get to come and catch some of them to fight they wouldnt be exactly ready but they would probably be good chickens to fight

kp: 11th Feb 2008 - 20:45 GMT

these pictures are really great, i saw a female duck hide her children just like the hen in the last picture

CG: 20th Feb 2008 - 16:59 GMT

So, these would be "free range" chickens, right? Go for the smaller hens and roast up a storm.

clucky hen: 31st Mar 2008 - 16:44 GMT

We just returned from Kauai, and we must also admit, the birds made the trip. Everywhere you go, from Walmart to the beach- you will see birds. They are hillarious and beautiful. Not to worry, however, they are aloof enough that they don't harass you or chase after you or your children. Leave them alone, and they will leave you alone too. It is spring and we saw many chicks too. It is so cute to see how they all hang out together, Rooster, his "ladies" and they chicks. All one happy family. Enjoy.

missyelliott: 8th Apr 2008 - 04:25 GMT

If you lived in Kauai and had these god aweful rats with wings crowing under window at 1 and 2 am you wouldn't be saying "how cute" they are! They carry diseases, any ground feeding bird has the potential to carry diseases. I don't want mongoose on the island but we do need to trap and/or stop these cockroaches with wings from exploding. Let me just tell you that bb guns and pellet guns fly off the shelves at walmart, for a reason, PEOPLE HATE EM AND WANT TO DISPOSE OF THEM!!!!!!!!!!!

eyeofodin: 8th Apr 2008 - 04:58 GMT

Well missyelliott, since you annoy me as much as the chickens annoy you, can I buy a gun and shoot you down? Have some respect for life.

missyelliott: 8th Apr 2008 - 06:59 GMT

So do you live in Kauai "eyefodin" ? Do you live under a tree where they are 4 times as loud as a bullhorn at a hockey game? probably not. Again they are rats with wings and carry disease, do you eat meat? They are poultry.

Dom - Channel Islands: 20th Apr 2008 - 13:34 GMT

We've had Hens and a couple of Rooster's in the orchard next to us for months. Their families have grown in the last couple of days, 15 chicks between the two hens. They look just like the pictures above. I know they eat bugs but not sure what else? I don't want to start buying corn to feed them as the are cramping my CAT'S STYLE been on their territory.

Dane: 30th Apr 2008 - 18:41 GMT

Those photos were great. I have a question. Do purebred game hens sometimes lay colored egg? I bought some hens that were supposed to be purebred and some eggs are white, some are light pinkish and some are green. I guess it's possible since domestic chickens originated from the wild variety. There are domestic breeds that lay colored eggs. Please e-mail your comments to Daneann@aol.com. Put Game Chick Eggs in the subject line....I dleate a lot before reading and wat to read all comments about this. Thanks. (I'm afraid that I won't find this site again..I get lost a lot on the web.)

Aussie visitor: 17th May 2008 - 18:40 GMT

I happen to agree with those who don't like the chickens. At first I was curious as to why there were so many and I didn't even like them then. I nearly caused an accident in my car trying to miss one on the road AND that constant cock a doodle dooing is doing my head in. It takes away from the "relaxed" "sleeping in" part of my paradise holiday. Eat them all I say. Get rid of the chickens.

luke: 23rd May 2008 - 00:18 GMT

how do i go about buying these crazy wild chickens.

Peter: 23rd May 2008 - 00:19 GMT

have you tried www.ebay.com?

Allan: 2nd Jun 2008 - 12:39 GMT

I have seen original wild birds called red jungle fowls that have been living in the wild since the earth was created. they live in India and Asia. The ones here are the feral ones on the island.

thurmon miller : 25th Jun 2008 - 17:17 GMT

why dont yall leave them chicens alone god gave them a live just like he gave you a live some you people dont have much of a heart why cant you live and let live the ones of you who shoots them with bebe guns are sworry as hell you dum

naturelover: 15th Jul 2008 - 02:00 GMT

For Missyelliot, you ask quite a lot if the person debating you ways in Kauai. First off last time I checked it was quite easy to get rid of chickens i.e. A DOG. And number two, we all have yard pests...for you its feral chickens, for some like myself its black bears, coyotes, bob cats, deer, raccoons, rabbits, ect. All these things and more can cause PROPERTY DAMAGE, personal damage and/or death. But what would you say if we all just eradicated our backyard wildlife b/c it was "annoying" or in my case potentially harmful? If you have any heart I hope you would say deal with it and learn to live around them. So I would consider myself lucky if my biggest gripe was a harmless flock of feral chickens. Try some earplugs.

kauaichick: 18th Sep 2008 - 01:22 GMT

I DO live here and I LOVE the chickens. I wake up at night and I smile and try to fall back to sleep. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. I'll sleep when I'm dead! The chickens are wonderful and I FEED THEM MISSY ELLIOT!!!! I am sad to say we don't like living on this island, not because it's full of chickens but because it's full of jerks who think us haole (white people) came and took it away from them. How sad. Most island people are very nice (including me) but no one takes the time to find that out. Oh well, while we are still here I for one will continue to enjoy the chickens and their babies and will miss THEM terribly when I leave. I won't, on the other hand, miss the narrow minded people who have lived here too long.
Earplugs, by the way, work great.

Jennifer: 23rd Sep 2008 - 04:39 GMT

I just got back from Kauai this morning. Yes, there are wild chickens every where & I loved seeing them all over the place while I was there. Seems to me like I heard the lizzards making more noise at night outside my window than the chickens.

I fed them eveyday when I was there!! I couldn't wait to see the mother hens bring her chicks to eat. It was sad to see that several birds get hit by cards each day. The chickens will be a major draw for my return visits. Loved them...all the birds I saw.

Chillygirl: 25th Sep 2008 - 08:17 GMT

I don't live on Kauai, but I think I understand both points of view. As both a hunter and a conservationist, I have a suggestion for both sides to consider. Since the chickens are suffering from disease, obviously from overpopulation due to lack of natural predators, why not cull the population down regularly, sell the nondiseased meat on market to make money for the local industry, keep a certain amount of chickens alive to please the tourist and locals who love them, while thinning the population so the locals who find them annoying will get some rest. And before anyone shouts, "It's cruel to kill the chickens!" please consider. It's more cruel to watch a chicken die from a ravaging disease. A healthy population is a happy one. We had the same problem with deer where I live. Some anti-hunting advocates got some Buffy legislation pushed through and, for a time, we weren't allowed to hunt deer. Lo and behold, since they don't have any natural predator, the deer became overpopulated and thousands of them started dying from diseases and parasites. Let me tell you, seeing an animal suffer like that makes your heart hurt. I'd rather be shot and die fast than die that way. Anyway. There is one more thing to consider. If the bird flu ever reached that island, the locals and the tourists alike would be in for a very rough ride. In fact, given the high chicken polulation, tourism would probably have to be shut down. Learn from nature, folks. Moderation is healthy and good. Be kind, but be realistic too.

Norge: 1st Oct 2008 - 07:26 GMT

I hunt them all the time with a powerful .25 caliber pellet gun. They are extremely wary and impossible to sneak up on---they WILL spot you long before you spot then, so the only solution is to lie in ambush and let them walk up on you. Even hit with the 30 foot pounds of energy in a .25 caliber pellet, they will generally run, as they are extremely tough animals.

Tofuminator: 1st Oct 2008 - 15:45 GMT

They look absolutely delicious, all of them.

cklakken: 2nd Oct 2008 - 04:06 GMT

judging from the beautiful condition of their feathers and their bright , healthy eyes, these are not diseased birds. the weaker will get naturally culled. why does there have to be such crude people in this world? Chickens are great. I can't wait to see these wild ones.

hawaiiansong: 11th Oct 2008 - 18:45 GMT

I had the good fortune to sail into Kauai to repair my sailboat earlier this year. I found the people wonderful, and the chickens remarkable. They seem to have evolved and adapted to things like traffic; I saw none on or along the side of the roadways. What I did see, and have trouble convincing my friends that I saw, was a hen with 4 chicks waiting for a "Walk" sign on the traffic signal and then using the crosswalk! Beautiful! Let's hope the mongoose never finds his way to Kauai.

patfan: 8th Nov 2008 - 05:24 GMT

Sorry guys. I've lived on Kauai a very long time, and the chicken population absolutely needs thinning. I run a restaurant, and they jump on the tables, poop everywhere, and carry salmonella. Think 10lb pidgeon. They do keep the venomous centipede population down (another transplant from SE Asia), but there are way too many. If you turn a light on inside your house at 2am, one will crow, and then the entire valley's roosters go off. If you folks had a neighbor with a dog that barked, no screamed, all night you'd call the cops. If you went to a restaurant on the mainland that had chickens landing on tables, you'd call the Health Department. Visitors to Kauai - please stopfeeding them! If you love them so much, take 'em home with ya.

patfan: 8th Nov 2008 - 05:28 GMT

Oh, and you can't eat them. They live on bugs and horsepoop. With Kauai's diverse population, if you could eat them there wouldn't be so many. Trust me on this one.

stressiam: 16th Nov 2008 - 17:39 GMT

Roosters,Chickens and chicks makes alot of noise, population are growing,and stuff, but we human beings makes noise early in the morning, our population are growing, we carry disease,ect. Why can't we all just live in peace before our world comes to the end.

Manong daikong: 1st Jan 2009 - 21:48 GMT

Another reply in favor of erredicating or at least thinning the chicken population. If you don't live here, you don't see the negatives. In addition to the pooping all over the place and the racket, there are problems with holes they create in lawns as a result of their habit of scratching for food. I mow my lawn with a reel mower and have had to pay for numerous repairs resulting from rocks dug up on my lawn by the chickens. Additionally, more than one elderly person has fallen or twisted an ankle in these chicken created holes. I've also witnessed a near traffic mishap cause by a chicken flying into the driver of a rental Jeep with it's top down as he drove through Waimea town. Good thing the driver maintained his composure.

chickenrgood: 4th Jan 2009 - 06:09 GMT

Wow this is fun stuff. I like chickens- sure who doesn't think they are fun to watch and oooh what pretty colors those roosters are! I have been coming to Kauai since the early 90's and damn the chickens just keep coming. I live here now and will be happy to report to you all - just what a Kauai chicken tastes like. I have trapped two of the lovely creatures and started the deworming/disease control process. It won't be long that the fattening corn, greens and grain will have taken the place of poisonous centipede bodies and bug parts. Mmmm Mmmmm grilled freeeeee range chicken! (perhaps a little Huli Huli sauce)
Everybody loves Hawaiian Chickens- some love to watch them- some love to eat them. (I like both) For all of the fabulous bleeding hearts- good for you but really... focus on the species that need you. The blue fin tuna and manatees really need some support. These chickens are cute but do not belong. They sure as heck didn't swim here and I'd bet they didn't fly either. Have you heard what the darling little tree frogs have done to the jungle fuana on the big island- not good. Its true- there are too many people and we just keep invading the wild world around us..... do you have children? What are you doing to reverse the human population explosion?
I don't mean to erradicate the prescious poultry just minimize their ecological foot print and perhaps enjoy a few buffalo wings along the way.

Manong daikong: 7th Jan 2009 - 21:10 GMT

Norge, you're right these chickens are a tough breed and it takes a good hit to anchor them. My neighbor has been having a tough time with them He lives at the edge of a subdivision and his property is bordered by a combination koa/grass pasture which is heaven for chickens. As much wild pasture land that they have to roam in, they seem to like being close to humans. He doesn't feed them yet they just love to dig up his wife's plants, etc. Though this guy is an animal lover at heart, the feathered pests have a way of getting under his skin and he recently purchased an air rifle from Walmart to at least keep the rascals under control. His cats used to act agressively toward the chickens but not anymore.

CHICKENS RULE: 28th Jan 2009 - 21:46 GMT

For one, all you haters of nature, it wasnt there fault they were brought to the island, this was man's doing. There now here so get over it and used to it. I live on the island and anyone caught messing with the bird will get arrested. I feed them daily and will continue to do so.

andok manok: 30th Jan 2009 - 12:08 GMT

Ridiculous. I've never heard of anyone getting arrested for "messing with the bird." The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural resources issues permits for the culling of pest animals, including feral chickens, which are causing property damage.

Leilani: 30th Jan 2009 - 17:34 GMT

Sure you can eat them! Roosters can be a bit tough for grilling or roasting but they can be used to make a great chicken stew. Where do you think the chicken at the 'Huli Huli Chicken' roadside stands comes from? Not from Costco! 'Huli Huli Chicken' - yum, yum, yum!

anon (66.193.146.131): 2nd Feb 2009 - 19:03 GMT

If any of you stay in Kauai for more then a day and can get sleep past 3:00 am with these chickens crowing good for you. I personally would not return to Kauai for a vacation simply because of the chicken noise. They might be pretty but they should be contained and perhaps feed people not keep them awake! gah

Manong daikong: 3rd Feb 2009 - 03:51 GMT

Hey, Chickens rule, us Filipinos like to eat chicken and we have many ways of cooking them but we also don't like them digging up our gardens, lawns etc.or having our old folks trip or twist an ankle in the holes that they create in the lawn. The problem is that there's just too many of them since there are no natural predators to control the population. These chickens aren't like other wild birds that mate only once a year. As long as food is available, chickens will keep breeding.

Norge: 15th Feb 2009 - 09:15 GMT

For all you people who are employing .177 Walmart-style air rifles like the Gamo Shadow, take it from me, they are ineffective against wild chickens. Ditto for .22 German makes like the RWS 48. Even the Webley Patriot, the world's most powerful spring piston .25, isn't really up to the task. I'm considering upgrading to a Condor .25 caliber pcp that will produce 50+ fpe. That should suffice to handle even the toughest rooster.

Sandy feet: 19th Feb 2009 - 06:20 GMT

I've been told there's a fellow operating as Chicken Chasers who will trap and remove chickens humanely for a fee. This may be the solution for those of you with chicken problems.

Stantheman: 20th Feb 2009 - 23:42 GMT

Norge, these chickens are tough birds, very fleshy and they look bigger than they are with all their plumage. I used to hunt a lot and as with any other animal, you can't shoot them in the guts and expect a quick, humane kill. You need to place your shot in a vital area... head, lungs, heart to put them down. A 25 caliber gun with 50 + foot lbs of muzzle energy is a lot of air gun. I trust that you are careful in residential areas.

Norge: 22nd Feb 2009 - 05:23 GMT

Stantheman,
I restrict my hunting to jungle/rain forest venues where there are no houses and one rarely encounters people. A chicken's head is about the size of a quarter so one needs a telescopic sight, good aim, and a bit of luck to connect at 50' amid the foliage out there. Wild chickens love to retreat into hau, and then it's an even greater challenge just seeing them, much less getting a shot off.

Griz: 16th Mar 2009 - 00:28 GMT

Look, i,m out of work and this sounds like a job and a meal. i'll be your cicken russler.

John Aguilar: 23rd Mar 2009 - 23:31 GMT

All those spots on the highways and roads are not enough to keep the burgeoning numbers of Free Range Chickens in check. Locals say that the insect population is taking a beating (less Centipedes, etc.)but who likes birds around your feet when you dine or hear the Cock-a-Doodle-Doos (all)hours before the sun comes up. They are everywhere and more are hatching.
Stayed at the new Westin in Princeville and wake-up calls are unnecessary. Relocating the birds will be shifting them onto someone else. I recommend the locals start acquiring a taste for Roosters first; peppered jerky, fishing/shark bait. Anything to slow the reproductive rate and cut down the noise that steals away the sweet sounds of windy silence.
Paradise lost to chickens.

jnnglebunny: 24th Mar 2009 - 22:58 GMT

I live on Kauai.

I kind of have a love hate relationship with the chickens. When i leave the island its like there is something missing because i miss the sound of them going off at all hours. The sound of them crowing is a comfort zone for me. I do much prefer the sound of chickens crowing over car alarms in big cities.

HOWEVER, I DO HAVE A GARDEN and i have to do all kinds of tricks to keep them out.

I have a hen with a bunch of chicks raiding my garden right now. The chicks are so damn cute i do not have the heart to murder them.

I have to go replant a bed they dug up last night...hahaha

artsygrl001: 30th Mar 2009 - 22:51 GMT

I stayed in kauaiat the paradise suites and poipu kai for a whole week and was not once awakened by the roosters or chickens as many of you are complaining about. They were fun to watch and i found the other smaller species of birds far louder and more annoying in the early hours. They were one of the unexpected highlights of my trip and i must say humans as a rule do far more damage to delicate ecosystems... should we be murdered for it? Please leave the pretty chickens alone or move to a different island with the mongoose. Some of us visiting enjoyed the presence of these birds and i did speak to a few natives non of which complained about them. One made a joke that he thinks at the end there will be nothing but cockroaches and chickens but i dont believe he had any real animosity towards them.

zach beasley: 24th Apr 2009 - 18:09 GMT

We have TAME chickens but wild chickens is another story!! I have never seen them butthey must be really cool=)

Sandy feet: 4th May 2009 - 06:27 GMT

My neighbor's friend caught several chickens last week as they were digging up his garden. Wouldn't you know, they were infested with lice!

David: 14th May 2009 - 21:58 GMT

Chickens are an invasive species in Kauai. If you love nature, conservation, and animals then you should want the chickens eradicated so that native birds aren't competing with chickens.

Papa G.: 14th May 2009 - 22:57 GMT

If you love nature, conservation, and animals... you probably don't want to see ANY animals eradicated. Duh.

Manong daikong: 20th May 2009 - 18:54 GMT

As has been previously stated, the problem is that there is an imbalance here. Tons of chickens and no natural predators to keep the population in check. That's why Kauai is over run with them. Lacking natural predators, what other way is there besides erradication to keep the population in check? Perhaps feeding them scratchfeed laced with a sterilization type drug?

ChickenD: 11th Jun 2009 - 17:51 GMT

Great pictures but since I can't resist...the chickens you have are, by definition, feral. The term "wild" would refer to an untamed, but native, animal. This term can not only have a lot of implications with it when referring to city policy on animals; but also because feral animals can often act as an invasive species and help to reduce wild populations. Sorry if that's a bit of a downer..but all that being said, the pictures are great; wonderful post!

EastSideOahu: 26th Jun 2009 - 08:43 GMT

This ongoing conversation about the chickens on Kauai...all the way back from 2006! Seems as though they...the chickens...can be shot, captured, eaten, "killed?", as long as human life is not endangered? I'm a Honolulu kid that's not a hunter but likes the taste of all kinds of birds including pidgeon squab, quail, wild ducks, geese and the like. If the chickens are legal to shoot and eat, I'm packing my pellet gun when I visit kauai in a couple of weeks. Is it legal? It doesn't seem like it not illegal judging from all of the comments I read. Please enlighten me someone! I just don't want any mites or lice and it looks like I might have some problems shooting the birds as it seems as though they're quite good at surviving many of the hunting techniques. Would I need a pelet rifle or would a pump type pelet gun be sufficient? Wonder if the chickens are safe to eat if people are trying to poison or neuter them? Geez!
Oh well, looks like I have the longest comment...eh?

Sandy feet: 21st Aug 2009 - 19:47 GMT

EastSideOahu,

My impression of the wild chickens are that they are dirty. You will find many of them around garbage dumpsters, trash cans, etc. One day earlier this year I saw a hen trying to feed her chicks a dead mouse. Do I want to eat them? I don't think so.

In regards to hunting or shooting them, I believe county law permits you to shoot chickens on private property if they have become pests. I don't think they are open to hunting on public lands. You may want to check with the state Division of Foresty and Wildlife.

angelenesdreams: 21st Aug 2009 - 20:11 GMT

honestly...i'd rather eat a wild chicken rather then a bio-engineered corn-fed beakless freak. dirty chickens...funny.

jaspergunsell: 22nd Sep 2009 - 18:11 GMT

the birds are safe to eat,,, tasty , tender and lean. the lice only affects the feathers, commercial raised birds are dusted with pesticides to kill them; if u do intend on eating the birds u kill, check the liver,if it's uniformly dark red to purple, it's safe to eat, if it has spots, bumps or odd colored markings, throw the animal out, it has some form of health issue.
hope this info helps, i'v raised chickens all my life, hear on Kauai, i don't have to feed them
just ketch em clean em and cook em up!

Vistor on kauai: 3rd Nov 2009 - 06:22 GMT

What a pain in the ear during the night, with no AC, we are forced to sleep with windows open. I might just go to Wally Mart and get the gun with a night scope... bang bang...good night.

All joking aside - the birds are much like rats with wings, I will not come back here to Kauai again until the bird population is handled...other Hawaiian Islands here I come.