Chickens roaming in Tampines to be rehomed after some residents cry fowl

Timothy Goh Straits Times 18 Dec 18;

SINGAPORE - Some Tampines residents are in a flap about a flock of more than 50 chickens roaming in their neighbourhood.

The Tampines Town Council said it is working with animal welfare group Acres to rehome some chickens near Block 266 Tampines Street 21, after several residents complained about the noise they made.

The fowl problem was reported in the media in September, after some residents were upset that some chickens were removed following complaints.

Since then, the chicken population has grown because of reproduction and residents feeding them.

There was a rise in complaints during the September examination season from parents who said their children needed to focus on their revision, Tampines GRC MP Cheng Li Hui told The Straits Times on Tuesday (Dec 18).

But there were others who did not mind having the chickens around, she added.

There were, however, concerns over hygiene. "Some residents want to feed the chickens. But if you don't remove the food, the rats will come," said Ms Cheng, who added that the town council would try to put some chickens in an enclosure in the neighbourhood.

Ms Suhaily Ahmat Samsi, 38, a lead drafter who lives in the area, said that the chickens usually start making noise at around 4am.

But she added: "It's just the way they are and they don't bother me. A lot of people in the neighbourhood like them... at around 6pm you will see grandparents bringing their grandchildren to watch the chickens."

Animal Concerns Research and Education Society's (Acres) deputy chief executive officer Kalai Vanan said that his group is working with the town council to build two aviaries to house about 20 chickens. The rest of them will be put up for adoption.

A town council spokesman said: "The end goal is not to eliminate the chickens completely from the neighbourhood. We are doing our best so that residents and chickens can coexist harmoniously in the community."