Police help Rescue Four Roosters in  Ferndale
(Crystal A Proxmire, Jan. 8, 2019)
Ferndale, MI – When Darren Carranza Escalera saw a pair of neighbors chasing chickens across Ten Mile Road near Hilton Tuesday afternoon, he knew he had to help.  The trio chased four Barred Rock roosters away from the busy I-696 freeway and into a parking lot where they corralled them into a corner.
Escalera called several animal rescue organizations while the frightened birds huddled in the corner and crowed when anyone approached.  None of the organizations had the capacity to help with roosters, so Escalera contacted Oakland County Times, who reached out to the Ferndale Police and got the ball rolling on a rescue.
Although the police are not responsible for escaped fowl, the proximity to major roadways was a safety concern, so they sprang into action and the chicken capturing began.
Three Ferndale Police officers soon arrived along with Hazel Park Animal Control Officer Jennifer Thompson, who agreed to help out. Thompson arrived with a couple of cat carriers (Oakland County Times also donated two to the effort), and a pair of nets.
The first bird ran quickly into a net, making the task seem easy.  But once they knew their fate, the remaining three birds tried to escape.  Reporters and police formed a perimeter and a second rooster was caught after a noble charge through the human barricade.
The last two made a break and almost made it back to Ten Mile, but were redirected toward the Marathon gas station before heading down the muddy alley.
Gas station clerk Kamil Ammar said he and his sister who works there had been watching the birds in their parking lot earlier.  “We just kept looking, like why are there chickens here?”  After the roosters wandered off earlier they forgot until the police came back to catch them.
The third rooster was caught after hopping onto a parked car and running across the hood.  The last one, who Escalera nicknamed Pierre, gave the best chase – ducking under bushes  before climbing on a limb and awkwardly flying up over a privacy fence.
The chase continued into the neighboring yard, where Thompson finally was able to put the bird in the last of the cat crates.
With all four birds in custody, the work was not over.  Since none of the rescue organizations care for roosters, Ferndale Police found an officer who lives on a farm in Lapeer who agreed to take care of the birds on her farm until the owner claims them.  Otherwise the officer will give them a loving home to grow old in.
Ferndale Chickens founder Laura Mikulski helped by contacting organizations and caretakers to help.  She said that most likely the birds had escaped from a truck bound for a butcher and were not likely to be pets.  Most suburban communities only allow hens to be kept as pets.  Because roosters are loud and do not lay eggs, they are not practical backyard pets.  Ferndale does allow chickens, but not roosters.
However, if the roosters are someone’s pets, they can contact Ferndale Police at (248) 541-3650.
“No matter where they came from, I am glad they are safe now,” Escalera said.  “If you see an animal that needs help, how can you not stop to help?”  He added that “I’m so glad the police here really care.”
Officer Kenneth Csizmadia said that he’s never chased chickens as part of his job before, but that “with police work you never know what’s going to happen.”
This story will be updated with video footage later this evening, so please visit this page again!
Learn more about Ferndale Chickens at www.ferndalechickens.com.