Akka’s Ganzenparadijs in Dalen will again take care of stray chickens from Utrecht. The municipality of Utrecht wants to get rid of the chickens at the Julianapark in the city. Earlier Akka also caught chickens from Utrecht.
“Animal welfare and safety are paramount,” says Linda Voortman, alderman for animal welfare in Utrecht. “Although we also regret that we have to transfer the chickens. We want the best for the chickens. That’s why we all house them at a specialized shelter that can take good care of them.”
At the beginning of 2021, an excessively large poultry population in and around the Julianapark in Utrecht came to light. At a count in mid-May of that year, 85 cocks were counted, 45 hens and 15 chicks (145 chickens in total).
The animals caused noise nuisance and, according to the municipality, feeding bread leads to rat and geese nuisance and can also cause health problems for the chickens. According to the municipality, the presence of the poultry also causes unsafe traffic situations and nuisance for local residents.
There was a heated discussion among local residents about the chickens. Some of the local residents experienced nuisance from the birds. Others thought that the chickens belonged in the Juliana Park, because the animals roamed there for years.
The Animal Protection is happy that the chickens are getting a new home. “It is best for everyone, but especially for the chickens themselves, to provide them with good shelter elsewhere. Road safety was compromised and chickens were fed excessively, which in turn led to a nuisance from rats,” says Niels Kalkman of the Animal Protection Agency. .