Shortly after we checked in at Boyd’s Campground, we heard a cock crow. It seemed odd that there would be a chicken farm nearby. When we walked the campground we discovered that the chickens lived in the campground.
When we went into Key West, we discovered that the chickens were everywhere.
The chickens originally came with the first settlers. In 1837 when cock fighting was banned, the Cuban fighting chickens were left to roam the streets and interbred with the native chickens.
These free-range chickens stirred strong feeling in some locals. The “Chicken Muggers” grew sick of them digging up flower beds and crowing at all hours. The “Chicken Huggers” loved the chickens and thought they added charm to the community. In 2003, a chicken catcher was hired but she found that the chickens were hard to catch. Also, tourists were horrified to see her attempt to catch them.
So now the chickens run free just like in Kauai.