Locals in Tampines complain that noisy chickens keep them awake at night.

The loud hens in a nearby park have been causing some Tampines residents to lose sleep.

According to two locals, the hens at Sun Plaza Park on Tampines Avenue 7 have been crowing early almost every day, keeping the residents’ sleep disturbed, as reported by Shin Min Daily News.

There are roughly eight blocks of HDB apartments near the park, according to a Google Maps search.

The Chinese daily was informed by a disgruntled resident, Chen, 38, that the issue began in December 2022 and that he hears the chickens crowing at around five in the morning.

“I grew up in the neighborhood, and this kind of issue never existed before. I think there are too many wild chickens being produced.”

Another resident, 70 years old, went by the surname Ji, saying the noise from the crowing of the chickens frequently wakes her up at 4.45 a.m. and keeps her awake.

“I’m having trouble sleeping, and it gets worse every day. My granddaughter has to go to school, so I usually get up at six in the morning,” she continued.

Upon visiting the park on Monday afternoon, May 27, a Shin Min reporter observed that numerous chickens were loudly crowing and flying up and down from the trees.

Chen reported that no one has been feeding the birds at the park, and they just appeared out of nowhere.

After voicing several complaints to the Tampines Town Council, he received an email confirming that the council was collaborating with NParks to securely relocate the chickens.

“I believe the authorities have taken action, including relocating the chickens, but it seems to have little effect,” he stated. “I hope the problem gets resolved without harming the chickens.”

AsiaOne has requested a statement from the Tampines Town Council.

Typical view in Tampines
For a long time, Tampines has been home to hens that are allowed to roam freely.

In 2018, the Straits Times reported that a number of locals had voiced concerns regarding the cacophonous clucking of chickens in the garden area situated on Blocks 266 and 267, Tampines Street 21. After that, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority collaborated with the Tampines Town Council to move a few hens.

As per a May 2023 report published by The Straits Times, NParks has received over 600 submissions regarding wild chickens until the time of publication. In 2021, there were 950 reports received by town councils, government agencies, and the Ministry of National Development—more than three times as many as in 2017.

According to The Straits Times, there have also been reports of free-ranging chickens outside of Tampines in places like Pasir Ris, Kembangan, and Bukit Merah.