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Culling chickens in the year of the rooster

on 9th February 2017

According to the Chinese zodiac this is the Year of the Rooster. Is it a coincidence then that in this Year of the Rooster, the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) is embarking on a programme culling “chicken”? – see HERE.

Male Red Junglefowl (Photo credit: Johnny Wee)
Male Red Junglefowl (Photo credit: Johnny Wee)

Are those assigned culling duties capable of differentiating between Red Junglefowl (Gallus gallus) (above), hybrids (below) and domestic chicken? Or will they round up all “chicken-like birds” for culling?

Hybrid Red Junglefowl (Photo credit: Dato' Dr Amar-Singh HSS
Hybrid male Red Junglefowl (Photo credit: Dato’ Dr Amar-Singh HSS)

The fact that those “chickens” found around Sin Ming Avenue have been put down by AVA can only confirm my suspicion that Red Junglefowl were culled instead of domestic chicken.

Andrew Scott (Photo credit: YC Wee)
Andrew Scott (Photo credit: YC Wee)

Singaporeans are proud of MediaCorp’s Channel News Asia’s production “Wild City” that showcase wildlife in our urban city. The director of Wild City, Andrew Scott (above), who featured these very birds was quoted by The Online Citizen as saying: “I would dispute the assertion that they are “chicken, not jungle fowl.”

Andrew further added: “I’am impressed that Singaporeans can filter out the constant noise of traffic and construction but are driven to distraction by a few crowing chickens. It’s a total shame.”

I for one cannot filter out the noise of construction. I have been bombarded by loud noises coming from a nearby house every weekdays for the last six months, at times ground-shaking pounding very much louder than can be heard from the video below. If only we have an agency like AVA to “cull” those responsible!

I would welcome the crowing of the Red Junglefowl (video below courtesy of Sun Chong Hong), the early morning calls of the Asian Koel, even the calls of domestic chicken, to the never ending construction noises that invade the tranquility of suburban Singapore.

YC Wee
Singapore
5th February 2017

Acknowledgement: Johnny Wee (male Red Junglefowl), Dato’ Dr Amar-Singh HSS (hybrid male Red Junglefowl) and Sun Chong Hong (video of Red Junglefowl crowing).

If you like this post please tap on the Like button at the left bottom of page. Any views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors/contributors, and are not endorsed by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM, NUS) or its affiliated institutions. Readers are encouraged to use their discretion before making any decisions or judgements based on the information presented.

YC Wee

Dr Wee played a significant role as a green advocate in Singapore through his extensive involvement in various organizations and committees: as Secretary and Chairman for the Malayan Nature Society (Singapore Branch), and with the Nature Society (Singapore) as founding President (1978-1995). He has also served in the Nature Reserve Board (1987-1989), Nature Reserves Committee (1990-1996), National Council on the Environment/Singapore Environment Council (1992-1996), Work-Group on Nature Conservation (1992) and Inter-Varsity Council on the Environment (1995-1997). He is Patron of the Singapore Gardening Society and was appointed Honorary Museum Associate of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) in 2012. In 2005, Dr Wee started the Bird Ecology Study Group. With more than 6,000 entries, the website has become a valuable resource consulted by students, birdwatchers and researchers locally and internationally. The views and opinions expressed in this article are his own, and do not represent those of LKCNHM, the National University of Singapore or its affiliated institutions.

Other posts by YC Wee

7 Responses

  1. Unfortunately I don’t think the people they are hiring to cull the chickens know any better. In which case all 3 (chickens, hybrids and junglefowl) will end up being culled. It will be goodbye to all remaining junglefowl on our main island in that case, sadly.

  2. I say cull by all means, but cull only the hybrids & the domesticated fowls, not the wild (I mean wild!) ones. Recycle & don’t waste good meat. Cook & eat the the culled chickens! Free-ranging fowls are good to eat!

  3. I say cull by all means, but cull only the hybrids & the domesticated fowls, not the wild (I mean wild!) ones. Recycle & don’t waste good meat. Cook & eat the culled chickens! Free-ranging fowls are good to eat!

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