Key West has made it illegal to feed the wild chickens, and added a few other birds, too
In Key West, you’re now banned from feeding the wild chickens that roam the island.
And don’t start with the pigeons or ducks either, city leaders say.
The new ordinance prohibiting people from feeding the city’s feral chicken population, or leaving them food or water, was amended to add pigeons, ducks and geese to the no-feed rule.
After tentatively approving the new law on Jan. 20, the Key West City Commission on Tuesday night delivered a second unanimous vote to pass the final ordinance, which was sponsored by City Commissioner Clayton Lopez.
“We have a chicken problem,” Lopez said Wednesday, adding that the ordinance addresses health and safety issues.
The chickens are often a messy lot and are known to put down roots in spots where they are frequently fed.
The Key West Wildlife Center and the city have before asked people not to feed the wild birds, saying it’s not good for the chickens because food left on the ground can spoil quickly.
There are other concerns behind the no-feeding law.
“Poultry within the city can create a nuisance disturbance, carry and spread diseases, destroy property and cause copious amounts of fecal deposits on public property,” the new law states.
According to the ordinance, it’s now unlawful to feed “poultry,” which is defined as chicken, ducks and fowl — including but not limited to pigeons or geese. The expanded definition of what can’t be fed will likely close a loophole, said Assistant City Attorney Nathalia Mellies.
“We did this change to deal with the concern that individuals would now try to say they were feeding pigeons instead of chickens,” Mellies said.
Code compliance officers will enforce the ordinance, which went into effect immediately after Tuesday’s vote. If you are caught feeding the birds, you could face fines of $250 a day for a first violation and $500 a day for repeat violations.
This story was originally published February 3, 2021 at 3:42 PM.
%20Cropped%20(1).jpg)