Feathers to Farm program temporarily on hold

Shamaya Sutton, Appeal-Democrat, Marysville, Calif.
·3 min read

Aug. 17—In March, the Sutter Animal Services Authority announced its Feathers to Farm Chicken Rehoming Program in an effort to mitigate Yuba City's feral chicken population.

This project involved capturing wild chickens, giving them health checks, and adopting them out to more suitable homes in rural areas and farms.

Megan Anderson, animal services manager for Sutter Animal Services, said the program started off strong with the relocation of around 300 birds, a good portion of them roosters.

Suter Animal Services ran into delays after taking on a large animal cruelty case which involved the confiscation and care of 63 animals including 39 dogs, 13 horses, seven cats and four exotic birds.

"We put the program on hold because we just didn't have any space left, staff time, or energy," said Anderson. "That case took a lot out of us and now we're also in our busy season for cats."

Despite rumors that have circulated in the past, Anderson reiterated that the wild chickens are not owned or protected by the county or city. However, there is currently a "no feeding" ordinance in place.

When it comes to chicken trapping, the practice can be a bit of a scramble and trouble arises when the birds travel across residential units.

"We have to have permission to be on the property of wherever we're at," explained Anderson. "So say someone calls us and there's a bunch of chickens going through their yard, well, we can go out to that property and try to catch those chickens, but the second they go on to somebody else's property, we can't go on to that property. That's why our primary focus was with businesses, where we could trap on their grounds."

Moving forward, Sutter Animal Services hopes to resume the chicken rehoming as soon as possible, most likely in the winter. The biggest hurdle involves finding more suitable homes for roosters and places willing to take groups of chickens in bulk.

"I'm definitely willing to put people on a list who would be interested in taking some birds," said Anderson. "But I'm more in need of people outside of our area needing roosters at this time."

The public's reaction to the program has been a mixed bag of emotions. Some feel that the chickens should be left to roam as they please, declaring the species as a cultural landmark of the area. Others are annoyed by the constant crowing and aggravation to their garden beds. Business owners cite "free-feeding" as a source of increased pest populations, luring undesired rodents and roaches in and around their properties.

While feeding the chickens can be fun, Anderson said it's best not to engage in this habit to avoid sustaining unwanted numbers and other populations.

Leaders invested in the Feathers to Farm Chicken Rehoming Program feel the chickens deserve a better home than the life they have on the streets. Increased roadkill and sick or injured birds bolster the validity of claims that the current population is unmanageable and inhumane.

The biggest steps the public can take in helping animal services is finding more homes, particularly for roosters, and to stop feeding local chickens.

For more information, visit the counties website at yubacity.net/news/feathers_to_farm_chicken_rehoming_program, or contact Anderson at manderso@yubacity.net or call 530-822-7375.