When Roosters Rock Your Sleep: A Sin Ming Saga
Ever wondered how much you’d pay to silence an excited crowd of 20+ roosters? Xu, a 58‑year‑old Sin Ming resident, says the answer is almost $7,000—a pretty pricey lullaby for bedtime.
THE PROBLEM
- More than 20 free‑roaming chickens have strutted into the neighborhood over the past three years.
- They’re not shy: rock‑tastic 2‑3 am concerts from the trees keep everyone on their toes.
- Despite closing doors and windows, the squawks still ping through the hallway.
THE COST
Xu’s family spent $7,000 installing sound‑proof windows in two bedrooms. “My daughter and husband jet out for work, yet every night they’re running on sleep debt,” she laments.
What the living room says
Meanwhile, the living room remains a no‑silence zone. Corners with the most convex windows still hear the choir of roosters.
OTHER VOICES
- Liu (67) tells us that her grandson needs a night‑time bedtime routine every time the roosters start a mid‑night symphony.
- In 2017, 24 chickens were “humanely euthanized” by the Agri‑Food & Veterinary Authority following community complaints.
- A 2019 survey found 90 % of residents wanted the birds, but eight chickens were still relocated to a Seletar farm.
- A March 2023 National Parks Board survey reports 69 chickens still roaming in the estate.
In the Words of Residents
“It’s like living next to a stadium that opens at dawn,” Xu jokes. “Except it’s filled with beaks and fluff, and no ticket.
Her ten‑year‑old burger‑popped‑face son even has a temporary ticket that forgot the feather weight.
THE SOLUTION? Or at Least A Nudge
While sound‑proof windows provide a sluggish lull, residents call for a more de‑crowed policy. Some propose a managed fly‑away, others hope for a chicken-to-museum conversion.
Will Sin Ming #FridayVote define the future of these feathered neighbors? Or will they continue to “crow” from sunrise as part of the city’s own morning anthem? Only time (and roosters) will tell.
Why are there more chickens now?
Chicken Chaos at the Block
The chicken numbers in our block have been climbing faster than a squirrel on a nut binge, and the culprit? People handing out treats. One resident spilled the beans (and popcorn) to a Chinese daily.
From Bread Crumbs to Feathered Frenzy
He admits he saw a lady in the middle of a covert feeding operation: “She was sprinkling rice and bread crumbs below the block, and the birds came for the food.” He claims it was a one‑off, so he didn’t intervene. Long story short, that lady’s crumbs turned the block into a chicken buffet.
Answering the Feathers with a Plan
NParks threw a corporate “task force” at the problem this March. Think of it as the Avengers of poultry control:
- Bishan–Toa Payoh Town Council
- Animal Concerns Research and Education Society
- Sin Ming Court Residents Committee
They’re putting up signs in common areas to remind everyone that giving the chickens a coffee refill is a no‑go. “Please, no more snacks!” they cry.
Next‑Day Pleas (And A Bit of Drama)
Down the line, there’s a murmuring from a Yishun family “My children are affected by the smell.” They’re lodging a complaint about a neighbour’s chicken‑farm near an HDB flat.
All in all, the block’s now a 24‑hour chicken hotspot, but the task force’s serious, new‑age approach might just curb the feathery frenzy before the pigeons start asking for a slice. Stay tuned.
