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.