No word is more feared for appearing in a news article than “Yishun”.
Whether it’s someone pulling out a knife or going berserk after eating durian, you know something crazy is going to happen when Singapore’s ghetto shows up in a headline.
But actually, this time it’s not that bad, but it sure is fowl.
Five Chickens Found in Yishun Rooftop Coop
Lianhe Zaobao reported on 3 July about the discovery of a chicken coop at the roof level of Yishun’s Block 429 multi-storey car park.
The coop, made of wooden boards and surrounded by a metal fence, housed five Silkie chickens. These are a chicken breed that looks like a chicken wearing three layers of stylish feather coats.
Handwriting on a wooden sign read “Uncle [and] Aunty’s Chicken Farm, Everyone is Welcomed!”
It also advised those present to make sure their hands were hygienic and to avoid making sudden loud sounds.
Boo! Like that.
They also encouraged others to help them refill water and food in the chicken coop.
The fowl farm did get its share of complaints (it is what we Singaporeans do best after all). Some nearby residents reported the crowing of the roosters had disrupted the peace and quiet, including one Mr Chen, who reported the coop to Yishun Town Council.
Mr Chen also disapproved of the birds being kept in storage boxes.
If you look at it another way, however, the chickens are just fulfilling the legacy of the uwu birds by annoying you awake at 7 am.
Residents Question Hygiene of Chickens
Ms Hu, a resident managing the community garden, explained in an interview that the fashionable Silkies belong to a resident gardener. The intention was for the birds to provide both viewing pleasure and education for the neighbours.
They didn’t expect Yishun residents to be disturbed by the presence of the chickens in the rooftop coop.
Despite chickens not exactly being the quietest of animals, an 8world News journalist found that the majority of residents in nearby HDB blocks had not heard the crowing of roosters.
Others interviewed mentioned hearing it and being a little annoyed but did not report complaints to the authorities.
Some homeowners nearby also felt that the chicken poop could cause hygiene issues.
One resident eggs-pert in the matter rebutted by saying that chickens eat vegetable waste and their own produced waste can then be made into clean fertiliser.
He also told those maintaining the rooftop garden to lock the chickens up in the early morning to avoid their din disturbing others.
Nonetheless, by the time 8world News visited on 4 July, the five Silkies were gone. Due to the complaints from the Yishun residents nearby, the maintainers of the rooftop coop and garden had sent the chickens to farms or private homes as pets.
Wherever they are now, we hope they can do well and fly high. Or, well, fly a little, since they’re chickens.
No, You Can’t Kill and Cook Wild Chickens
In November 2022, the Ministry of National Development clarified that up to 10 poultry could be raised on any premises. This is only for non-commercial purposes, so don’t go planning a mini fast food chain yet.
Rearing chickens in HDB flats specifically is not allowed, however. Only owners of private homes may keep them as pets.
These measures are meant to keep avian disease spread in check. If a chicken gets the bird flu, you can tell by them using hen-kerchiefs to blow their noses.
I’m sure you’ve noticed, though, that chickens seem to be absolutely everywhere in Singapore nowadays. Shouldn’t they be in their natural habitat of an industrial farm?
Chickens are natural foragers and can survive well enough in Singapore actually, having been here for a long time. The population growth is likely due to people feeding them.
More food = easy survival = more eggs than your local Sheng Siong.
You can watch this video to know why there are more chickens in Singapore recently:
But be careful, don’t go thinking they’re free KFC. It’s illegal under the Parks and Trees Regulations to capture or kill local wildlife, including chickens.
NParks investigated the February 2024 case where a man appeared to have caught and killed a wild chicken and de-feathered it in public like he was ready to start cooking.
Stick to your fast food chains and chicken rice stalls, please.
Here’s a simplified summary of the South Korea martial law that even a 5-year-old would understand:
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