[john]

Anyone from Fair Oaks around here? I'm curious if there's a story behind all the chickens.

[davburr]

Anyone from Fair Oaks around here? I'm curious if there's a story behind all the chickens.

That is curious. They are all over the place, I remember seeing them at that park and walking around the Slocum House restaurant.

This might shed some light on the subject....
Fair Oaks Chicken Festival
http://www.fairoakspark.org/index.php?opti...&Itemid=188

[mylo]

So, first you start with a mommy chicken, add a daddy chicken, and well.. go ask your mother.

Or, was it start with an egg? I always forget.

[davburr]

So, first you start with a mommy chicken, add a daddy chicken, and well.. go ask your mother.

Or, was it start with an egg? I always forget.

[john]

So, first you start with a mommy chicken, add a daddy chicken, and well.. go ask your mother.

Or, was it start with an egg? I always forget.

I suppose I was asking for that...

[Squidward]

The chickens have been in Old Fair Oaks for decades. Nothing like eating outside at Slocum House and watching the chickens.

[a little bean]

My great aunts grew up on a farm in Fair Oaks (which used to be entirely farmland). I'm not sure if they were always there, but I know that my aunt has always kept chickens and any time she got tired of one, she'd drop it off there.

[Deb B]

My great aunts grew up on a farm in Fair Oaks (which used to be entirely farmland). I'm not sure if they were always there, but I know that my aunt has always kept chickens and any time she got tired of one, she'd drop it off there.

I asked a business owner in FO once about the roosters and chickens. I was told -- not sure if this is fact or not -- that the whole thing got started because people dropped off roosters and chickens they didn't want. One person started it, another got the idea, then another, and they quickly multiplied.

[davburr]

I asked a business owner in FO once about the roosters and chickens. I was told -- not sure if this is fact or not -- that the whole thing got started because people dropped off roosters and chickens they didn't want. One person started it, another got the idea, then another, and they quickly multiplied.

That makes sense, I did the same when I lived in Ojai.

[john]

Sac State had a similar situation in the 90s... a hen and a chicken were dropped off one day on campus. Then came the chicks, next thing you knew there were probably 50 of them on campus. No predators of any kind as the school is secluded so they multiplied quickly.

Then one day in the middle of the night, they all vanished. I was told school officials gave the OK to kill them all. It was actually pretty fun when they were around.

[Darth Lefty]

And here I thought if you didn't want a chicken any more, you ate it

[mylo]

And here I thought if you didn't want a chicken any more, you ate it

Mmm.. McFairOaks

[stangage70]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?...eed=rss.bayarea

As folks tell it, the first birds arrived with Hugh Gorman, an artist who moved to Fair Oaks in 1977 with his four chickens.

At first, Gorman recalls, he fielded pleas to keep his flock cooped up. But ultimately, Gorman relented to his free-spirit sensibilities and released the foursome.

Each year, a new flotilla of fuzzy yellow chicks could be seen scurrying after their mothers. Other chickens joined the mix, Gorman said, among them post-Easter escapees from a local feed store and barnyard rejects dumped at the town limits.

Now, the chickens are a functional part of the Fair Oaks ethos and ecosystem, Gorman said.

[sat]

We've attended the Fair Oaks Chicken Festival and had a good time. That said, it is a little creepy seeing all these chickens walking around, seemingly oblivious to all the people, yet there are booths set up selling fried chicken, chicken wings, teriyaki chicken, etc. It's was almost like let's celebrate the chicken and then eat it.

[JBailey]

I've spent some time on "ranches" and while chickens are "ok" the gol darn roosters will make you want to grab a shotgun quickly.

Years ago, my brother had a final "moving to Sac" party at his house in SoCAl. He lived in a somewhat rural area on some acreage, and while we were hootin and hollerin to all hours, several guests commented about the noise of the roosters next door. His (somewhat inebriated) response, "Eh, you get used to it"
Next day, we answered the front door to sheriffs, animal control officers and reporters as the "Largest Cockfighting Bust" in LA county history was happening right next door. What a note to leave LA on, lol, we sure didn't see that one coming...

[kalbers]

I'm the person in charge of organizing the Chicken Festival. I'm the Special Events & Youth Development Coordinator for Fair Oaks Recreation and Park District. The Chickens have been around Fair Oaks for much longer than Hugh Gorman. Hugh was not the person responsible for bringing the chickens in, but he is a huge supporter of the community and a wonderful artist. Below is an excerpt from an article done on Fair Oaks.

“The hens and roosters that roam this village are descendants of those that have been part of Fair Oaks village life since the first farmers bought 20-acre tracts and began to grow citrus back in 1895,” said Cathy Smallhouse, one of the past organizers of the event. “Tourists have taken pictures of them for years, and love ‘em or hate ‘em, we decided it’s time for the residents to acknowledge their place in the community, too.”

Everyone should come to the Chicken Festival, which is a GREAT way to truly get to know Fair Oaks and it's wonderful fowl feathered friends. Visit us at www.fairoakspark.org for more information.

[mylo]

Wow, 20 acres sounds pretty small for 1895

[supermom]

So, first you start with a mommy chicken, add a daddy chicken, and well.. go ask your mother.

Or, was it start with an egg? I always forget.

Nope--God only made that mistake once!


First, there was a Mommy chicken, then there was a Daddy chicken---

[mylo]

Nope--God only made that mistake once!

First, there was a Mommy chicken, then there was a Daddy chicken---

Technically, wasn't there a Daddy chicken first, then He made a Mommy chicken from a leftover drumette?

[supermom]

Technically, wasn't there a Daddy chicken first, then He made a Mommy chicken from a leftover drumette?

Nope---Mommy chickens have extra Plummage.

They gave some to help God make a Daddy chicken.