North Shore City Council says today's shooting of chickens was needed to keep numbers getting out of control.
Eight chickens were shot near Albany Village after complaints were received about noise and pollution.
The decision to cull the birds upset some people in the area, who wanted to
manage the numbers. Several locals see the birds as an icon of the once rural village.
But council environmental protection team leader Warwick Robertson said the chickens would multiply quickly.
"If we have 25 females this year, next year the numbers are likely to be 375," he told Close-Up tonight. "In another year it would be 2800.
"We have re-homed many chickens but we can't re-home them all."
Six chickens were still missing and would be shot once they were found, he said.
Albany Village business owner Sheryl Gavin said the council's actions were too drastic.
She said the village businesses put forward a bird management plan after the council requested one but councillors still decided they all had to go.
"Shooting them all is too drastic," she told Close-Up. "We think we can have chickens down there as long as we can keep the numbers down and the council didn't give us an opportunity to do that."
Albany local Rod Klaasen said the chooks had been in the area for 50 to 60 years and in the past the council and locals have had an understanding.
"Our birds down here are healthy, we feed them every day and when they get sick we take them to the vet," Mr Klaassen told the New Zealand Herald website.
Police were present to ensure the shooting was safe and there was no breach of peace.
- NZPA
