Feral chicken

A feral rooster on the island of Kauai
A family of feral chickens, Key West, Florida

Feral chickens are derived from chickens (Gallus domesticus) who have returned to the wild. Like the red junglefowl (the species from which chickens were domesticated), feral chickens will roost in bushes in order to avoid predators at night.[1]

Feral chickens typically form social groups composed of a dominant cockerel, several hens, and subordinate cocks. Sometimes the dominant cockerel is designated by a fight between cocks.[2] They lay anywhere from 24 to 60 eggs per year[3] being considerably lower from domestically living hens, which produce 300+ eggs per year and closer to their wild ancestors, the red junglefowl which lays 8 to 18 eggs per year.[4] The lower egg count is due to the process of feralization, where domestic animals may partially regain their wild properties when reintroduced to the wild, as farm chickens have been bred to produce as many eggs as possible, they may lay less eggs when reintroduced to the wild.[5]

As chickens are reintroduced to the wild, natural selective pressures can take over again leading to higher genetic diversity. On the island of Kauai, the feral chickens had higher pooled heterozygosity (mean 0.36 s.d. 0.036) compared to domestic chickens (mean 0.29 s.d. 0.031).[6]

Locations famous for feral chickens

America

Asia

Europe

Oceania

See also

References

  1. ↑ Tove Danovitch (24 May 2023). "Kaui's Feral Chickens Are Out of Control". The Atlantic. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
  2. ↑ Leonard, Marty L.; Zanette (1998). "Female mate choice and male behaviour in domestic fowl" (PDF). Animal Behaviour. 56 (5): 1099–1105. doi:10.1006/anbe.1998.0886. PMID 9819324. S2CID 45208700. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2005-05-15. Retrieved 2008-04-25.
  3. ↑ "Feral Chicken - Invasive Species of the Virgin Islands". 2020-10-22. Retrieved 2026-03-10.
  4. ↑ Ali, Sakhawat (2016). "Breeding ecology of red jungle fowl (Gallus gallus) in Deva Vatala National Park, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan". researchgate. Retrieved 2026-03-10.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ↑ "Feral chickens spread light on evolution". ScienceDaily. Retrieved 2026-04-13.
  6. ↑ Johnsson, M.; Gering, E.; Willis, P.; Lopez, S.; Van Dorp, L.; Hellenthal, G.; Henriksen, R.; Friberg, U.; Wright, D. (2016-09-30). "Feralisation targets different genomic loci to domestication in the chicken". Nature Communications. 7 (1) 12950. doi:10.1038/ncomms12950. ISSN 2041-1723. PMC 5056458.
  7. ↑ "Feral Chickens". The Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Retrieved 2021-09-24.
  8. ↑ "Strategic Feral Animal Control Management Plan | Government of the Virgin Islands". bvi.gov.vg. Retrieved 2026-04-13.
  9. ↑ "Wild Chickens". FITZGERALD, GA. Retrieved 2026-04-13.
  10. ↑ "Feral Chickens And Eggs On Grand Cayman Island". 2023-08-03. Retrieved 2026-04-13.
  11. 1 2 3 Ames, Marissa (2020-06-09). "Wild Chickens in Hawaii, California and the Florida Keys". Backyard Poultry. Retrieved 2026-04-13.
  12. 1 2 3 "Wild chickens take over Miami while some embrace roosters as a cultural symbol". NBC News. 2025-05-26. Retrieved 2026-04-13.
  13. ↑ Danovich, Tove (2023-05-24). "Hawaii's Feral Chickens Are Out of Control". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2026-06-18.
  14. ↑ "How feral chickens rule the roost in Key West - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. 2024-07-27. Retrieved 2026-04-13.
  15. ↑ "Wild Chickens On Maui: Why They're Everywhere + Tips". mauisnorkeling.com. Retrieved 2026-06-18.
  16. ↑ "Feral chickens running wild in New Orleans". www.cbsnews.com. 12 April 2011. Retrieved 2021-09-24.
  17. ↑ Austin, Matt (2025-03-31). "The mysterious disappearance of Oviedo's chickens. What really happened?". WKMG. Retrieved 2026-04-13.
  18. ↑ "Ready and Roam / Puerto Rico". Ready & Roam. Retrieved 2026-06-18.
  19. ↑ "Feral Chicken - Invasive Species of the Virgin Islands". 2020-10-22. Retrieved 2026-04-13.
  20. ↑ "An estimated 1,000 wild chickens are wandering Yuba City. Here's why there are so many - CBS Sacramento". www.cbsnews.com. 2024-05-14. Retrieved 2026-06-18.
  21. ↑ "Ybor City Chickens - Don't ruffle their feathers!". Tampa Historical. Retrieved 2026-06-18.
  22. ↑ "Free-ranging roosters are a wake-up crow for rising territorial tensions in Jaffa". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 2026-05-27. Retrieved 2026-06-18.
  23. ↑ "Chicken Roundabout!". Archived from the original on 2009-05-16. Retrieved 2009-09-05.
  24. ↑ "Nature & Wildlife - Chamorro Culture". Guam Visitors Bureau. Government of Guam. 2018-09-24. Retrieved 2021-04-26.
  25. ↑ Fritts, Thomas H.; Rodda, Gordon H. (1998). "The Role of Introduced Species in the Degradation of Island Ecosystems: A Case History of Guam". Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics. 29 (1). Annual Reviews: 113–140. Bibcode:1998AnRES..29..113F. doi:10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.29.1.113. ISSN 0066-4162. S2CID 59396297.
  26. ↑ sliang (2008-11-01). "Galston Gorge". Road Rider Magazine. Retrieved 2026-06-18.
  27. ↑ "Niue, South Pacific: The world according to Tony". Elsewhere by Graham Reid. 2014-03-09. Retrieved 2026-06-18.
  28. ↑ "Wild Chicken, Port Chalmers, Dunedin, South Island, New Zealand". www.davidwallphoto.com. Retrieved 2026-06-18.
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