Thailand's feral rooster infestation

[buksida]

This nationwide infestation of wild cockerels/roosters appears to be a newly emerged issue across Thailand. At least it is new to me after over two decades of traveling in the country and not seeing these excessively noisy creatures in these numbers before (well, before Covid).

I'm on the road up north at the moment and have visited six provinces so far staying in seven different hotels or campsites over the past ten days or so (trip report in progress) and there have been roosters at every single place. I originally thought this was a Bangsaphan problem, but they are absolutely everywhere (even in Hua Hin), from city centers to the rural countryside to remote hills and jungles to beaches and islands.

Currently sitting in a hotel in Nan city center and the soi it is in is full of roosters, albeit these ones are in cages, however, most of them we have encountered are just running wild. Now, a rooster that crows at the break of dawn (like in the Bob Dylan song) as a cockerel should is no problem at all, but these noisy feckers are screeching all day long.

Interesting to hear thoughts and discussion on this new vermin infestation (I know cities have pigeon problems, but roosters appear to have taken their place). The plague seems to have originated during Covid when people were locked down and kept chickens at home, letting them all go when lockdowns lifted and they have bred like rabbits.

The rural Thais are obviously not poor or hungry enough to catch and eat them (its free food) and the explosion of 7-Elevens everywhere probably has something to do with that - a packet of Leys or CP burger is less effort. Thailand is also a noise-obsessed country so maybe they like that constant screeching sound.

These creatures (unless kept for fighting) serve no purpose whatsoever, they don't produce eggs, they're too small to fight, they smell, carry diseases, dig up crops, have no natural predators, and scream all day long - why on earth are they tolerated when a snake, rat, or other animal (even dogs) considered a pest is killed without thinking about it?

Thoughts on a postcard ...

[Big Boy]

You know my theory already, but I'll share it here for the sake of discussion. I think there are 2 key factors:

• When I first came to Thailand, Thais would eat everything that moved. Then 7-11 arrived, and its now easier to nip down the road to buy a prepared hot chicken burger than having to catch, pluck, cook and eat a rooster.

• Soi dogs were natural predators. These days do-gooders seem to do the rounds giving Soi dogs 2 decent meals a day. They don't have to catch their own food (I am a dog lover, but do not like Thailand's Soi dog population).

I know your gripe is roosters, my gripe is pigeons and I've also seen the monkey population getting out of hand. I'm sure all 3 would have made a decent supper 25 years ago.

[Jack_Batty]

You know my theory already, but I'll share it here for the sake of discussion. I think there are 2 key factors:

• When I first came to Thailand, Thais would eat everything that moved. Then 7-11 arrived, and its now easier to nip down the road to buy a prepared hot chicken burger than having to catch, pluck, cook and eat a rooster.

• Soi dogs were natural predators. These days do-gooders seem to do the rounds giving Soi dogs 2 decent meals a day. They don't have to catch their own food (I am a dog lover, but do not like Thailand's Soi dog population).

I know your gripe is roosters, my gripe is pigeons and I've also seen the monkey population getting out of hand. I'm sure all 3 would have made a decent supper 25 years ago.

I hadn’t really thought about that, but definitely makes sense. I’m with you on the Soi dog issue. I love dogs, but the Soi dogs are such a nuisance.

[Nereus]

Thailand is also a noise-obsessed country so maybe they like that constant screeching sound.

I don't think that it is a matter of liking the screeching, Thais simply do not hear it!
They have some natural inbuilt ability to block out noise, and not let it play on their senses.

[buksida]

They have some natural inbuilt ability to block out noise, and not let it play on their senses.

Its an ability I wish I had. I now have to sleep with earplugs when traveling to drown out the incessant rooster noise, something I never had to do in the past so this plague is definitely a new thing.

[KhunLA]

Haven't noticed yet, with exception of yesterday rarely see or hear them, and we live kind of rural, PKK midway between Hua Hin & Ban Krut.

Yesterday we had a rooster fly in hard against one of the window. If not thicker than normal, surely would have came through. Poor thing bounced off into to small waterfall, and wife had to help him out. Not feral, not yet anyway, as did have a tether on one leg.

Was in not hurry to go back home, as when let the dog out a few hours later, she chased him up and over the wall. Didn't realize they could fly that good, as didn't land until the other side of the pineapple field.

At one guesthouse late last year at Krabi, there was a bunch in the field next to it. Didn't seem to be owned by anyone, but only time I've seen them not in someone's yard or cutting across the road in small village.

[Dannie Boy]

Slightly off topic, but regarding noise, it’s definitely a big issue but I’ve recently moved and our new house has double glazing - it doesn’t completely eliminate noise but it definitely makes a considerable difference and I’ve not been woken by roosters, dogs or other noises.

[PeteC]

"As of January 2022, broiler chickens made up the largest number of animals in livestock farming in Thailand, amounting to nearly 312 million. This was followed by native chickens, which amounted to around 70.6 million."

https://www.statista.com/statistics/112 ... m-animals/

[buksida]

By 'native chickens' I guess they mean feral/wild ... so more chickens than people in Thailand, that figures!

[caller]

I honestly havent noticed this at all. Where I am, there are a few 'domesticated' feathered things, but that's about it.

[STEVE G]

There's some of them on an open plot of land down the lane from me. I like them as they take all the work out of walking the dogs, they love chasing them about, it's the highlight of their day.
( I admit it's probably not the highlight of the roosters day! )

[kwajdiver]

We now have them – wild roosters – in our area of North Cha-Am. This has happened in the last year or so.

[buksida]

There's some of them on an open plot of land down the lane from me. I like them as they take all the work out of walking the dogs, they love chasing them about, it's the highlight of their day.

This backs up BB's theory about the soi dogs no longer chasing and predating them because they're being fed and they're no longer hungry. Our Retriever used to chase them when he was younger but he's now too big and lazy so I have to resort to more conventional methods of dispatching them!