August 13, 2012: Why Did The Chickens Cross The Road: Donuts of Course?

As old as this question is, I have never heard a definitive answer until I saw the Highway 99 Chickens.  What are the Highway 99 Chickens you ask?  Along a busy section of Highway 99 and at a major intersection live upwards of 25 chickens.

According to the local newspaper, these families of chickens live in the bushes right next to the busy thoroughfare.  They forage in the parking lot of a Raley's grocery store, visit the local Wendy's hamburger place for handouts, turn up at the Perkos to look cute and ask for snacks.

When the mood hits them, they cross the busy street to get donut holes a small donut shop. Which the owner says they come crowing for,  routinely.  I told you chickens have a routine!

And they have been doing this for over 40 years.  And yet, no smashed chicken along the road?  Nope, I've never seen one in the 35+ years I have been driving along this stretch of highway.  When the chickens, including multiple generations, decide to cross the road, traffic stops until they are safely across.

Occasionally lady shoppers have been harassed by aggressive roosters, but come on ladies,  use your toe-wedge if you have too.  Then as I mentioned in one of my other blog posts, one kindly but misguided lady here decided to rescue the chickens.  She was unsuccessful, as the chickens don't need rescuing.

Yesterday my brother in law met some buddies for breakfast at Perkos.   As he exited, he was interrupted by a very cocky rooster strutting along the walkway, followed  by a hen, and 12 little chicks.  Just moseing along, no worries.  People love these feathered denizens of the roadway.  They are a tradition in our town, like the ducks in the Peabody Hotel lobby in Memphis Tenn., only along a dusty street versus an elegant hotel.

This is a largely agricultural community and the area they live in used to be farm land.  Apparently the chickens came from nearby farms, and have just stayed.  Some believe that disillusioned chicken wranglers have dropped off some of their flock when they tire of taking care of them.  Can't imagine abandoning a darling little chicken, but some folks aren't a sensitive to their charms as I.

So in answer to the age old question, chicken's cross the road for donut holes.  And just in case you think I am making this up, here are some pictures taken along the Highway.