By Susan Dickson
Staff Writer
Don’t be alarmed if you see a chicken strolling down the sidewalk in downtown Carrboro.
Carrboro resident Phillip Duchastel has five pet chickens, one of which was “hijacked†this weekend, he said. His chickens live with him on Oak Avenue.
Duchastel said one of his chickens was walking around the neighborhood close to his house when it was spotted by a concerned passerby, who called Carrboro Animal Control.
“There are other citizens other than humans,†Duchastel said, adding that his chickens often roam and are not dangerous in any way.
Carrboro Animal Control officers brought the chicken to the Orange County Animal Shelter, where Duchastel picked it up the next day.
“A little red chicken came in as a stray from the Carrboro police,†shelter director Jessica Allison said. “Generally, when animals are out running in the street in Carrboro, either animal control or Carrboro [police] is going to pick them up and bring them to the shelter.â€
“We don’t want to see those guys squished on the road,†she added.
Allison said the shelter has seen an increase in the number of chickens in the area in recent years, with more residents keeping laying hens as pets.
Duchastel said his neighbors also have chickens, so people should not be concerned if they see chickens wandering around. They do, in fact, have homes in downtown Carrboro.
Robert Nekoranec, Carrboro’s animal control officer, said that while the town allows some livestock in the city limits, chickens have to stay more than 15 feet from any roadway and shuld be kept in pens.
“You’ve got to have them in pens,†he said. “They can’t just be allowed to free range through the area.â€
Nekoranec said he’s asked Duchastel to look into a bottomless pen that could be moved around the yard to prevent any more escapes like the one last weekend.