Two farm chickens were found dead Tuesday after being stolen from the Rosa Parks Elementary School gardening program on June 1.

Garden and nutrition coordinator Tanya Stiller, or “Farmer Tanya,” found the remains in the school garden after a cat had been scratching at the spot. The chickens appeared to have been killed and were buried on top of each other. An old wooden garden sign that resembled a cross was found next to the grave.

The unknown perpetrators allegedly breached the chain-link fences surrounding the caged coop in the school garden, where five chickens were being housed. The chickens were part of the nutrition and gardening curriculum and were being used to teach children about sustainable foods and the chicken life cycle.

Stiller filed a police report on June 3 after returning to the school and finding the chickens missing. When Stiller arrived at the scene, the chicken cage door was ajar, and the garden was noticeably vandalized.

Stiller says she is shocked at the killings because although the chickens were crucial to the students’ curriculum, they would not serve much purpose to anyone else, because they were too small to eat and were bred to be egg-layers.

“Chickens are the pinnacle species that defines a farm,” Stiller said. “I wanted to teach the kids about the chicken life cycle. I think almost all kids are animal lovers, and it is harder for them to relate to plants as living things, so I wanted to bring that with the chickens.”

Stiller said that the kindergarten yard, where the chicken coop was located, has been prone to vandalism in the past because of shorter fences surrounding the area.

 The chicken killings have prompted school administration and parents to address the apparent security issue on campus, according to Paco Furlan, principal at Rosa Parks.

“A few parents came up with ideas, and we have some different ideas for surveillance that we are exploring,” Furlan said. “It is difficult because it is in an area that can be accessed from the outside. I am concerned about security, but at some level, you have to trust the community and hope that your coop or car is not going to be broken into.”

While the chicken theft was unexpected, the students were not overwhelmed by their disappearance, because the chicken program itself was recently established, according to Furlan.

“It was relatively new, so not many students were aware (of the chickens),” Furlan said. “They were not school mascots or anything yet. We will probably be getting new chickens.”

Due to the manner in which the chickens’ remains were found, Stiller says she believes the perpetrators felt guilt over their actions.

“Clearly, there was remorse,” Stiller said. “I would love to have an anonymous note from whomever did this to explain what happened and maybe even why.”

Contact Stephanie Petrillo at newsdesk@dailycal.org.

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