Flew the Coop

“Roosters have become kind of Scio’s thing.”

Audie Heikkila, Resident of Scio, Oregon

Photo by Stacey Wilhoit

Chickens are in the news, again. There’s something about small towns and chickens that seem to go together. Or not.

First, I came across the story about Pateros, Washington—the town that pulled the welcome mat on chickens and said “not in our town” (Critters). Then, I heard about San Juan Bautista, California—the town that loved its chickens and made a tidy profit off chicken memorabilia, but finally had to hire a chicken wrangler to thin the flock when roosters overran the roost (Chicken Coup). And now there’s Scio, Oregon (population 812)—the town that lost its chicken. 

Scio’s town mascot is a rooster. For years the part was played by Big Red, a real crowd pleaser until he met his demise at the jaws of a dog a few years ago. Six months ago a rooster named Mr. Wheeler took over the part. Just about the time townsfolk were warming up to him, Mr. Wheeler disappeared. He stopped showing up for his daily feeding at the museum, and that has people worried. They figure one of three things has happened. Maybe Mr. Wheeler’s taking a little time off to do the things roosters do. Or maybe, someone grabbed him because he’s so darn beautiful. Or maybe, and townsfolk are hoping this one isn’t true, Mr. Wheeler has ended up on someone’s dinner plate. I don’t know, but I’d be considering a fourth possibility . . . and checking the local dog population for signs of feathers.

Read the article ® Scio residents search for missing rooster