Honolulu asks residents to stop feeding feral chickens as trapping efforts face interference

The City and County of Honolulu is asking Oahu residents to stop feeding feral chickens and leave traps alone to help reduce the island's poultry population. The Department of Customer Services issued a reminder on November 5 that public cooperation is essential because ongoing interference is undermining the city's progress.

The city has installed "Do Not Feed Feral Chicken" signs in public parks and on buses. It also deployed specialized traps in problem areas and offers discounted trapping and disposal services for private property owners. These measures have reduced official complaints about feral chickens on public property.

Despite the decline in complaints, the city's pest-control contractor faces challenges from public interference. Individuals have vandalized or tampered with traps and released captured chickens. Some residents continue to feed feral flocks, which encourages the birds to stay in areas where they create nuisances. These nuisances include excessive crowing, damage to public spaces, unsanitary conditions from droppings, and disturbances involving household pets.

Kim Hashiro, the Department of Customer Services Director who oversees the city's animal-control program, stated that crews are actively trapping chickens and putting up educational signage. "This is an issue the city simply cannot tackle alone," Hashiro said. "We need every segment of our community from residents to business owners to help us by not feeding these birds and letting our pest-control teams do their jobs safely."

The city urges residents to refrain from feeding feral chickens and to leave traps undisturbed. Authorized pest-control crews are working to carry out their tasks. Residents can find more information at www.honolulu.gov/csd/feral-chickens/.