UP to 300 chickens a day belonging to south-west identity Swampy Marsh are invading a Warrnambool holiday park, with its manager fearing they could ruin his business.
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Chickens began wandering into the Big4 Hopkins River Holiday Park at Jubilee Park after Mr Marsh set up his operation on leased land next door on April 27.
Park manager Brett Hein said the chickens were creating “untold carnage”.
“This has the potential to ruin this park,” he said.
Mr Hein said the problem mounted by the day.
“It was slightly amusing at the start but it has gone way beyond a laughing matter,” he said.
“The smell from the chickens is going through the whole park and into the cabins. We are finding about 200 eggs a day around the park but there are many more being laid under the cabins that we can’t get to and they just add to the small. We take a lot of pride in our gardens, they are beautifully manicured, but the chickens are just destroying them.
“There is also all the waste from the chickens along the roads in the park that we are continually trying to clean up. All our time is being spent trying to deal with the problems the chickens are creating, it’s a nightmare.”
The chickens’ main entry is through a fence on the northern boundary that Mr Marsh admitted he had not checked before taking over the property.
Mr Marsh said his chickens’ presence in the holiday park was detrimental to his business.
“Of course I'm concerned about it, those eggs are worth a dollar each in Melbourne,” he said.
“I don't want to leave them under their caravans. First and foremost, I am concerned what it’s doing for my business.”
This has the potential to ruin this park.
- Brett Hein
Mr Hein said a meeting between himself, Mr Marsh and park owners was held last Friday.
Mr Hein said Mr Marsh was given until yesterday to move the chickens to the furthest point of the property in exchange for management helping repair the fence.
Mr Marsh denies that agreement had been made and he said he was still a week away from moving the chickens.
A Warrnambool City Council spokesperson said Mr Marsh was required to confine his chickens to the farming land. Council has issued a notice advising Mr Marsh of this. Failure to contain the chickens within five days may result in a fine being issued.
