Ridgeland, Wisconsin “Chicken Toss”:
Eyewitness Report
This year, animal rights activists were on site.
Here’s what they
saw, said, and did:
Todd Wilson Eyewitness Report
February 16 at 9:48 PM
“Today, for the second year in a row, we drove up to the Ridgeland, WI Pioneer Days event. The big attraction is throwing sick, frostbitten, terrified chickens off of a roof into a sea of drunk, crazed and violent humans. The community bills this event as a family friendly traditional chicken ‘fly.’ As if all of these birds are willing participants for the amusement and delight of the children and their doting parents. Many activists came out this year from all over the Midwest and collectively we were able to rescue 29 of these abused but wonderful birds. Some are already on their way to good homes, or to the vet. We are working on finding homes for some of the others and many will stay here with us at Farm Bird Sanctuary.”
“I think it is important to show some of the scope of what is happening at the event. It really only lasts a few minutes, but during that time hundreds of birds are subjected to this abusive, barbaric and entirely unnecessary ordeal.”
Ridgeland Chicken Toss Photos by Todd Wilson, Feb. 16, 2019
Email to UPC from Wisconsin activist Nikki Chaganos
February 18, 2019
Dear United Poultry Concerns,
I wrote back to Sheriff Bygd this morning since the chicken toss did take place, sadly. They cleverly renamed it “free poultry exchange.” The first time I wrote Sheriff Bygd, I was very polite. But his reply only infuriated me. I did my due diligence and confirmed that PETA does not support this event like he stated. I attached the link to Farm Bird Sanctuary, who took in 29 hens and roosters rescued by animal rights activists on Saturday. I suggested he thank them, since they and others around the state are cleaning up his town's and Drunk'n Monkey's mess. [Drunk’n Monkey is the bar and grill from whose roof the chickens are thrown each year into the crowd.] I told him he should be thankful for all the publicity his small town is getting thanks to social media. He grossly underestimated the determination, resources, connections, and tenacity of animal rights activists. We will be there again next year!
– Nikki Chaganos, Pet Sitter Galore and More
What Can I Do?
Farm Bird Sanctuary posted the following message on their Facebook page. If you can give a donation to help cover their care of the 29 chickens rescued last Saturday, please do.
On February 16th, 2019, the 37th annual Ridgeland Pioneer Days was held in Wisconsin. This event throws chickens off of a roof into a crowd of humans, many drinking.
Most of the chickens have severe frostbite, scaly leg mites, injuries, or all of the above. One chicken is being rushed to the emergency vet right away due to blood collecting in his eye.
Eight chickens went in pairs to some new homes, but Farm Bird Sanctuary is taking in over twenty with a variety of medical needs.
We are a very small sanctuary with limited funds. Any and all donations will go to medical care, housing and transportation as we find homes for those we aren’t keeping.
Your donations mean we can continue to go every year and save as many birds as possible until this event ends! See More . . .
Rescued Ridgeland chickens photos by Quincy Markowitz, February 16, 2019
For more information, please see:
- Farm Bird Sanctuary Facebook page
- Ridgeland “Chicken Toss” – A New Update 13 February 2019
- Update on Ridgeland, Wisconsin Chicken Toss 25 January 2019
- Urge Ridgeland, Wisconsin Officials to Stop Chicken Toss 23 January 2019