Chickens as traffic control

So one of the side benefits of having free ranging chickens is that they tend to like the roadside as a place to pick at gravel. Recently I've let my chickens out of the paddock system so that they can clean up all the gardens and around the house. They've ranged on down towards the roadside and across the street to the neighbor's fields. This means that at any one time there could be about 20 chickens near or in the road. I've noticed that the traffic on my road has slowed down significantly as a result of this behavior.

Just an added benefit to having chickens. Safer streets and increased gas mileage for the drivers.

I remember reading an old Farm Bulletin (I believe Ohio St.) from the late 20's/early 30's.
They concluded that Leghorns were a better choice than Rhode Island Reds because:
"They are more alert, and quicker, therefore less likely to be hit by the occasional passing vehicle."

Gee. If choice of breeds were only that simple!

Our road is already a dead end but when the chickens wander across and back, I always think to myself, "why indeed? The chicken crossed the road to see what those chickens over there were scratching up"

For me the answer to that age old question is:

Because my neighbor's horses have spent the last month crapping all over that field and there's lots of apples too.

My Silver Laced Polish rooster actually stood in the middle of the road in a Stand-off with the garbage truck one day. They guy actually got out of the truck to shoo him away. TOO FUNNY! I couldn't tell if he was amused or not but I laughed my ass off.

In France a municipality is trying ducks to slow down traffic,



http://www.courrier-picard.fr/region/des-canards-pour-ralentir-les-voitures-villotran-y-laisse-ia186b0n191103