The traffic patrol officer at this school is a chicken
Newstead NZ Sept 2 2021 Tracy Trigg owns a small farm with an adjoining preschool in Newstead, New Zealand. Each morning she personally dresses her traffic patrol officer in a fluorescent vest. The traffic patrol officer is a hen. The hen is named — wait for it — Henry.
Henry was named by the students.
Since January, the uniformed chicken has encouraged drivers to use extra caution in the parking lot at the rural Newstead Country Preschool, which Trigg started with her family in 1997.
Henry struts around the parking area, approaching cars, squawking and greeting students for about 15 minutes before the school day begins at 8 a.m. Motorists drive very carefully near the school, knowing Henry is on patrol.
“Mostly, she likes to take her time crossing the drive and inspecting the cars,” said Trigg, 49, who is principal of the preschool, which has 37 children.
Henry, a brown shaver hen, began her patrol duties shortly after she flew the coop one day to join the preschoolers at playtime on the 15-acre farm.
She became an overnight celebrity in Newstead, which has a population of about 1,500, when a 9-year-old reporter from Kea Kids News did a story in mid-August about the unusual security chicken.
“There certainly has been a lot of international interest,” Trigg said. “It’s lucky that she’s a humble hen, or it would surely go to her head. Our rooster is a bit jealous of all the attention she is getting.”
Trigg said Henry is effective at traffic control, and she is mostly reliable, as chickens go.
“She’s a bit of a fair-weather worker, and if it’s raining, she knocks off early,” Trigg said.
Henry’s initial appearance in Trigg’s life came late last year, when out of the blue, the stray chicken wandered into the living room of a friend and neighbor. Nobody was sure where she came from.
“My friend started hand-feeding her because she was quite thin,” said Trigg. “We think she was a rescue hen as her beak had been trimmed, and we found she really loved grated cheese.”
When Henry continued to sneak into her friend’s home to relieve herself on the carpet, it was decided that Henry would be happier on Trigg’s farm.
“We popped her into the paddock with the other chickens that weekend,” Trigg said. “But when all the preschool families turned up Monday, she moved herself to the car park.”
One of the preschoolers was convinced that the chicken was his favorite hen from home named Henry, she said, so that’s what the kids decided to call her.
“Henry doesn’t seem to mind,” Trigg said.
As Henry became more familiar with the preschool and the places where she was allowed to roam, the hen decided to hang out in the parking lot in the morning and the staff room at teatime and lunchtime, Trigg said.
“She likes to look for crumbs under the table — but Henry will do backflips for cheese,” she joked.
When Trigg noticed that Henry was squawking at drivers in the parking lot, she said she decided to order the hen a security guard vest — more commonly known in New Zealand as a “hi vis” jacket.
“I Googled ‘hi vis for chickens’ and to my surprise, a New Zealand poultry supplier had them, so I ordered one,” Trigg said.
“I thought it would bring smiles to the faces of our parents and teachers, and also highlight to the children that we all need to be safe in the car park and around vehicles,” she added.
Former circus elephants just arrived at a new sanctuary. They are swimming and grazing on fruit buffets.
Trigg enticed Henry with a handful of grated Colby cheese, then fastened the Velcro vest under the hen’s wings.
“She was pretty relaxed and compliant about wearing the jacket,” she said. “Now we pop it on first thing in the morning and take it off around lunchtime. As long as there is cheese involved, she’s happy to go along with it.”
Parents at the preschool are delighted to see Henry strutting around the parking lot every morning.
“Henry is an absolute hoot,” said Erin McIlmurray, 37, whose 4-year-old, Molly, attends the school.
“Some preschools might see a chicken in the car park as an annoyance, but we love Molly’s preschool because they do fun things like this,” she said.
“The staff have identified Henry’s skills and have encouraged her to live her best life,” added McIlmurray. “I think it’s fantastic.”
Her daughter is equally smitten with the sociable chicken.
“When cars come, they don’t drive over the children because Henry makes the cars stop,” Molly said. “Then we can go for our bush walks. I love her.”
Although the preschool is also home to several cows, three ponies, a goat and a small flock of sheep, Henry knows she is the star attraction, Trigg said.
“I think she sees her presence as a calming influence on those around her,” she said. “We have 12 hens, and she’s now hanging out more with the rest of the flock.”
“They work really well as a team, calming and charming drivers, and Henry’s vest makes sure they are all kept safe as well,” Trigg said.
Henry lays about one egg a day, but rarely in the same place, she added.
“We have to hunt for them as she likes to hide where she is laying,” Trigg said. “Usually, we don’t find them until there are a good dozen in a nest somewhere.”
Of course, there are bigger problems one could have with a security patrol chicken.
“We can’t let all the stardom go to her head,” Trigg said. “Or she might start wanting the overpriced tasty cheese instead of the good old economic Colby.”
