The man responsible for a flock of roaming chickens on the outskirts of Herbert, south of Oamaru, has been ordered by the Waitaki District Council to reduce their numbers.
On March 22, the council and police responded to a complaint from a motorist about the dangers posed to traffic on SH1 by the animals kept at the roadside property of former chicken and pig farmer Wayne Richardson.
Sergeant Tony Woodbridge, of Oamaru, said council staff were in contact with Mr Richardson because of the "significant'' traffic issue the birds created.
When cars were travelling north on SH1 they crested the brow of a hill from a 100kmh area into a 70kmh area, he said, and drivers might encounter the chickens on the road and swerve to miss them.
Mr Richardson said this week he had been issued with a notice to cut his fowl flock to 12 by April 13. He owns about 60 chickens, geese and ducks.
He said when he brought his property six years ago the council told him he could keep up to 100 animals.
Mr Richardson said a lot of the chickens were dumped at his property over time and some road users stopped by his house and lured his birds on to the road with food.
Under the council's bylaws, any person keeping poultry must ensure the birds are effectively contained within their property and do not cause a nuisance.
Mr Richardson said he could not upgrade his fence as he could not afford to and over the years several cars had crashed into it.
A council spokeswoman declined to comment on the issue because of the investigation.
Mr Richardson said the WDC could take on his chickens, but they should leave his other fowls alone.
"I will go to court for my geese and ducks.''