Chicken Coup

“We’re just lucky people aren’t dropping off elephants.”

Richard Ponce, Resident of San Juan Bautista, California

Photo by Roman Köhler

A few weeks ago, I wrote about little Pateros, Washington (population 624) and its decision to say “no” to chickens (Critters). Neighboring towns were allowing residents to keep three, maybe four hens for fresh eggs, but Pateros said “none, nada, zip.” Turns out, town leaders in Pateros knew what they were doing. Just ask folks in the quaint mission town of San Juan Bautista, California (population 1,715). Back in 1769 when the Franciscan friars settled the town, they brought with them a few “fryers,” and today the town is flocked with fowl.

San Juan Capistrano has its swallows; San Juan Bautista has its chickens. Hens peck among town gardens and cocks strut their stuff on the old boardwalk and crow from every corner in town. Chickens are featured on T-shirts and hats, and shopkeepers sell as many chicken-inspired bric-a-brac as mission bells. Until last year the town even had a chicken parade and festival. But lately something is afoul. Strange chickens, mostly roosters it appears, have been dumped in town, and the chicken population has exploded. Deciding something had to be done, town leaders have hired trappers to scoop up about 100 from private yards. Officials hope the trappers will be able to find homes for the chickens. The chickens hope Herbert Hoover’s 1928 campaign slogan won’t come home to roost. You know the one—a car in every garage and “a chicken in every pot.”

Read the Article ® California mission town residents stewed over chickens