Key West Officials Ask Locals to Please Stop Feeding Roaming Chickens

Officials in Key West are seeking to ban people from feeding roaming chickens because the population is getting out of control, the Star Tribune reported.

The island in the Florida Keys Southernmost City has a feral chicken problem and on Wednesday, an ordinance that unanimously approved noted the birds "carry and spread diseases, destroy property, and cause copious amounts of fecal deposits on public property,” according to the Daily News.

“The fowl have a feast,” said City Commissioner Clayton Lopez, who sponsored the measure, according to the Star Tribune. “They can pick and choose better than we can what they eat off their plate.”

The chickens are fed by tourists and locals causing them to grow and mate, leading to a large population of feral birds. Lopez told the Miami Herald some people are buying "50-pound bags of feed" to feed the birds. 

The ordinance says that if code compliance officers catch someone feeding the chickens, they will be fined $250 for a first time offense and $500 if they are repeat offenders, the Miami Herald reported.

The ban doesn't apply to chickens kept in coops or pens, officials said.

City Commissioner Mary Lou Hoover said the chickens have become fearless of humans, saying to the Star Tribune, "They're becoming more aggressive by the day.”

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