Oahu - Need Safe Home for 1 Rooster/3-5 Hens

[AlohaChickenGuy]

Aloha,

I live on the island of Oahu - Based on initial reports, the Honolulu city council passed a law today that allows chickens to be fed poisonous food to euthanize them. The island of Oahu now views them as pests and plans to eradicate them with the same prejudice as that of other rodents such as rats and mice.

In the past, the military bases have hired contracted "pest" control that catches the chickens and destroys them through gassing them with carbon dioxide that burns the chickens tissues while still alive and slowly suffocating them to death. If they survive the initial gassing, they are thrown into the gas chamber with the next batch. It's inhumane.

After three years of no issues in our neighborhoods, there has been an increase in new complaints by newly PCS'd residents in military housing that are bored, anxious, miserable, depressed, entitled, and anything between. Naturally, complaining about chickens gives them something to feel better about and relate to other people with similar feelings rather than appreciating the fact that chickens eat the centipedes, roaches, and ants that people typically do not want inside of their home (myself included).

Today, the housing office told a resident complaining that they plan to use this new food in combination with calling their contracted pest control to completely kill off the entire chicken population in our housing area in the coming weeks.

I am wondering if anyone knows of a rescue organization that is able to take the 1 rooster and 3-5 hens on the island of Oahu? Does anyone have any recommended places to re-home them in the wild?

I have been on this island for 3 years and had no issues. Now, the same wild chickens that I watched being hatched/grow up are either going to be gassed to death or fed poisonous food - There are at least 6 other chickens that hang out around our street. However, I do not know where they roost and I cannot save them all.

Please help me re-home the ones that I consider my friends.

 

[raingarden]

The "poison" is not to kill them. It is a contraceptive or forced sterilization to prevent reproduction. The Humane Society supports it. I'm adamantly opposed to the Bill and now I'm opposed to the Humane Society too.

If they want to get rid of chickens then they should have to hunt them down one by one and eat them like any self-respecting predator would. It is already legal to trap chickens on your own land and do what you want with them.

Are you in military housing? They have been contracting with a pest control company to trap chickens and send them to the gas chamber

The cultural tradition is that catching a chicken and putting a leg band on it claims ownership and others are obliged to malama (respect your property).

 

[AlohaChickenGuy]

The "poison" is not to kill them. It is a contraceptive or forced sterilization to prevent reproduction. The Humane Society supports it. I'm adamantly opposed to the Bill and now I'm opposed to the Humane Society too.

If they want to get rid of chickens then they should have to hunt them down one by one and eat them like any self-respecting predator would. It is already legal to trap chickens on your own land and do what you want with them.

Are you in military housing? They have been contracting with a pest control company to trap chickens and send them to the gas chamber

The cultural tradition is that catching a chicken and putting a leg band on it claims ownership and others are obliged to malama (respect your property).

Aloha,

Are you 100% sure on this? The forced contraception feed has been approved for a while now I believe. This new feed is to actually kill them, but has been kept relatively quiet. I read one news article speaking as to it being a topic for the city council, but can no longer find it. There was some quotes in it saying, "We're trying to be as humane as possible.", "Chickens have become a road hazard".

The Humane Society (who I reached out to yesterday), confirmed that they believe the bill went before the Honolulu City Council yesterday to vote on the feed. I plan to follow up with them today to see if they know whether it was actually approved or not, but housing have a resident saying they were going to use the feed on the chickens - hearing it made me feel like they had been following the situation or had contacted someone about getting rid of chickens and it was brought to their attention.

I am in military housing though. We've caught their pest control people taking them and that's when I looked into what was actually happening because housing told me they were taking them to the Humane Society (a lie, and the Humane Society still euthanizes them, they barely have enough space and resources to put dogs up for adoption - much less chickens).

That said - We are not allowed to claim the chickens as pets in base housing. They are just "backyard" chickens to us. However, I've had to take care of some while sick/injured and I feed them because -

1) they keep the centipedes and roaches out of my house

2) we're allowed to put out bird houses with feed that birds constantly knock food out of onto the ground - we were already feeding them inadvertently so it's dumb to say "don't feed chickens"

3) there's an injured one that never fully healed correctly that I want to consider my pet, but he still roams freely where - between kids capturing him to play with him, local movers with blow dart guns trying to shoot him, kids taking him to cock fight him, and other roosters trying to kill him in my backyard.... He's on life 8 out of 9 and this is starting to sound like an aggressive effort to exterminate every chicken in our neighborhood due to all the entitled service member families that have PCS'd to the island. They don't understand - aloha or malama. Chickens were here before them. A few indirect sprays with a water hose and they learn not bother your porch/yard. I figured that out, but some people are either too smart, or not smart enough.

That said, if I put a band around it's ankle without any contact info or anything... You are saying that locals in Hawaii understand and respect this (malama)? I have thought about putting a band around some of their ankles since I really have history with some of them. However, I was afraid this would allow other people and housing to ultimately accuse me of having them as pets.

I do know the pest control people are locals. I just don't know if they will really care about bands. Someone said they had an pet cat taken by them that had a collar with contact information on it and a chip. I find it hard to believe they would care about a chicken with a band on it's leg as a pest control company contracted and getting paid per chicken.

Do you live on Oahu? Do you know of any local orgs or areas that I could re-home the chickens? Most orgs seem tapped out on resources.

Mahalo for your response.

 

[raingarden]

Forget what I said then. You seem to be much more on top of it than me. In a quick search there does not seem to be anything about it on-line. I'm on the other side of the island. It might as well be the other side of the world because things work differently over here. There used to be someone in Kahalu'u that did rescue but they may be full. Dumping chickens is not a nice thing to do, but it still happens. Do it if you have that much emotional attachment. Just don't dump them at my house. Do you have pictures?

 

[AlohaChickenGuy]

No pictures. I have emailed housing asking them if there's an alternative to destroying them. It is unlikely, but I'm probably going to get in trouble since I have baby chicks from kids killing their mother spurring the whole chicken incident after living here in peace for years.

I don't want to dump on anyone. I just wish I knew a safe place where they could be in the wild. We have lots of homeless in Wahiawa. We also have lots of chickens roaming. It feels like they are safer from a starving homeless population than on a military base.

The rooster has already been taken. Likely by neighborhood kids to cock fight. The hens have gathered together near my yard because they don't know what to do anymore.

I have a disabled rooster and a single hen that are special to me.... I am trying to find resources, but it sounds like everyone is full. Not sure what to do.

The fact that they put them in gas chambers just sounds so horrible.... Like, someone did that to people in World War 2 and a lot of people seemed to have an issue with it. Why would you not have an issue with it when it comes to animals?

If anyone else has resource contact info, please let me know

 

[AlohaChickenGuy]

Forget what I said then. You seem to be much more on top of it than me. In a quick search there does not seem to be anything about it on-line. I'm on the other side of the island. It might as well be the other side of the world because things work differently over here. There used to be someone in Kahalu'u that did rescue but they may be full. Dumping chickens is not a nice thing to do, but it still happens. Do it if you have that much emotional attachment. Just don't dump them at my house. Do you have pictures?

I found the article, you are correct: Proposal to eradicate feral chickens moves through the legislature

The feed is focused on birth control and it has been pushed by the Humane Society, but the primary purpose of the bill is focused on lethal eradication.

Either way, sounds like housing is going to start using this along with continuing to have the chickens captured and gas chambered.

Just looking for any resource contacts that might be able to help out

 

[raingarden]

OK, I found Hawaii House Resolution 94 (HR94) working its way through the legislature.
Bill Title: Urging The Honolulu City Council To Review Its Ordinance On Chickens, Investigate The Ordinance's Role In Contributing To The Growing Population Of Feral Chickens, And Take Action To Reduce The Growing Problem Of Feral Chickens.
https://legiscan.com/HI/text/HR94/2022

It reminds us that, pursuant to section 7-2.5 of the Revised Ordinances of Honolulu, each household within the purview of the City and County of Honolulu is permitted to possess up to two chickens or peafowl;

This may be telling. The bill was referred to the House Agriculture Committee and the House Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs. Apparently, it was not referred to the House Committee on Health, Human Services & Homelessness. or the House Committee on Water and Land.

It is important to note that they are URGING the Honolulu City Council to address the issue. So, if the bill passed, the City Councill would be obliged to at least consider their urging and, perhaps, draft a plan for going forward.. That's a whole other process so nothing is going to happen qucikly.

I'm counting on the Native Hawaiian community to not let this thing get out of hand. Whether you like chickens or not, they are part of the cultural heritage around here. After all, chickens were a "canoe animal" (along with pigs and rats) so the Native Hawaiian community can't turn their back on them now..

 

[AlohaChickenGuy]

OK, I found Hawaii House Resolution 94 (HR94) working its way through the legislature.
Bill Title: Urging The Honolulu City Council To Review Its Ordinance On Chickens, Investigate The Ordinance's Role In Contributing To The Growing Population Of Feral Chickens, And Take Action To Reduce The Growing Problem Of Feral Chickens.
https://legiscan.com/HI/text/HR94/2022

It reminds us that, pursuant to section 7-2.5 of the Revised Ordinances of Honolulu, each household within the purview of the City and County of Honolulu is permitted to possess up to two chickens or peafowl;

This may be telling. The bill was referred to the House Agriculture Committee and the House Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs. Apparently, it was not referred to the House Committee on Health, Human Services & Homelessness. or the House Committee on Water and Land.

It is important to note that they are URGING the Honolulu City Council to address the issue. So, if the bill passed, the City Councill would be obliged to at least consider their urging and, perhaps, draft a plan for going forward.. That's a whole other process so nothing is going to happen qucikly.

I'm counting on the Native Hawaiian community to not let this thing get out of hand. Whether you like chickens or not, they are part of the cultural heritage around here. After all, chickens were a "canoe animal" (along with pigs and rats) so the Native Hawaiian community can't turn their back on them now..

This is legit. You were wrong, you're more on top of this stuff than me! lol

I'm finally getting in touch with someone on other Facebook groups. But, it just feels weird saying, I got a home for them. But, it's not really a home. More like a place.

I asked how the rooster wouldn't be killed by another rooster and they said there's usually only one dominant and the rest should be okay so long as they don't challenge them. I don't know how viable it is, but wanted a second opinion.

What I don't understand is.... If Hawaiians are supposed to have malama towards chickens. Why do they cock fight and harm the chickens? Or is that just bad locals? I want to understand cause I genuinely am not sure if I'm being a jerk for disliking them so much for cock-fighting and hurting the roosters.

Thank you for following up on this though. I'm going to check out this random place before I take any chickens there.

 

[raingarden]

What I don't understand is.... If Hawaiians are supposed to have malama towards chickens. Why do they cock fight and harm the chickens? Or is that just bad locals? I want to understand cause I genuinely am not sure if I'm being a jerk for disliking them so much for cock-fighting and hurting the roosters.

Culture just is what it is and everybody has one.

 

[AlohaChickenGuy]

Culture just is what it is and is and everybody has one.

I mean, I'm military. I'm from Kentucky. We had dog fights, we put furniture in the back of pickup trucks, hung out on farms with bon fires every weekend, wrestled around, and took pride in being country. I feel like we weren't too different from locals back home. We just had creeks/lakes instead of the beach/ocean and redneck trashy people aren't nearly as well put together as even the poorest locals in Hawaii.

However, like dog fighting, cock fighting is illegal in all 50 states and just cause it's part of our culture doesn't make it right. I never attended a single dog fight and thought of it as a low IQ, sick form of entertainment. Especially since I grew up with a grandpa that trained hunting dogs and had to be around them cleaning their kennels. I even hoped to be a K-9 Police Officer at one time to continue being around dogs.

I just was trying to understand why you said Hawaiians can respect a leg band on a chicken, but why they cock fight them without any regard for them as living creatures? Most people back home wouldn't respect a collar on a dog they wanted to take, and also dog fight the dogs.