Domestic animals reproducing in a wild state, especially after escape from captivity or domestication, defines “feral.” When horses, pigs, cats, parrots and now chickens go wild, problems are not far behind.
People in California, Louisiana, Florida, Texas, Hawaii and some island countries are developing a love/hate relationship with the free-ranging birds. As bird populations grow, residents begin experiencing property damage. But, they like the insect control the birds provide. Now there’s growing concern about zoonotic bacteria like Salmonella, Campylobacter and a variety of parasites, not to mention the crowing.
Source: Backyard Poultry, September 15, 2019. Link. Means of dealing with feral birds differs from prolific wild chickens in Hawaii, protected Key West chickens, and random flocks in New York and Arizona. Attitudes differ from region to region. But one facet remains constant: efforts to collect and rehome them result in more hatches and resurging populations.
INSIGHTS: Responsible animal care, regardless of the species, remains an educational challenge for our industry. As veterinary teams meet with animal owners, assessing contact with feral populations is an important element of lifestyle risk management.