Why did the chicken cross the interstate? 

For over a week, the Facebook group, “Now you Know...Marshfield, MO,” started receiving numerous posts and tips about a rogue chicken. 

Several I-44 commuters spotted a red chicken foraging in the median near mile marker 97 and the Northview exit. The concern for the well-being of the chicken and it’s capture became the main focus on the page. This led to several attempts to catch the chicken. One attempt was made by Marshfield local, Joshua Dinkins. 

“My wife and I saw the chicken in the median and made a U-turn at the Marshfield exit. All we had was a large blanket, so I crossed the busy interstate at rush hour. It felt like a game of Frogger,” said Dinkins. 

“I almost caught her, but the chicken ran and flew. That’s when I ended the pursuit, I was afraid it would run into traffic.”

Several days passed and the future of the chicken was looking bleak, until Jennifer Giordano, a Northview resident, saw the posts about the elusive hen.

“After finding out about it on Facebook, she (the chicken) had already been there a couple days, so I started looking for her, ” said Giordano.

Giordano spotted the chicken on Tuesday, Oct. 19, and noted its exact location. When coming up with the plan, Giordano and her husband, Rickey, took into account the best way to catch the chicken and the safest way to accomplish that on such a busy interstate. Familiar with chickens, they agreed the best time to catch a chicken is in the dark. 

“We parked along the side of Cologna road, which runs north of the interstate… we crossed into the median and kept our flashlights low, sweeping the light back and forth. We walked to the point at which I had seen her earlier that day,” Giordano added. 

 The couple continued their search, but with no luck and began their journey back to the car. 

“We weren't sure at that point if she had gotten hit or if somebody else had picked her up. Or maybe she had crossed, but after walking a quarter of a mile we decided that it probably was fruitless,” said Giordano. 

The Giodoranos stayed alert on the journey back to the car. Just before they crossed the interstate, they spotted the chicken. Rickey placed a fishing net over the chicken, but it did not resist. The couple then returned to their home to better assess the weary fowl.

“She (the hen) seemed really dehydrated. She was also missing a part of her toe and has only one tail feather left... evidently something had gotten ahold of the others,” she explained. “She is pretty skittish and smells really bad.” 

Temporarily, the hen was then housed in a portable kennel between Giordano's backyard by day and her home office by night. 

“I contacted someone on the Facebook page who had said they do rescues and if we needed any help to get ahold of them. We did and there is a lady who does chicken rehabilitation and would be happy to take her and nurse her back to health. So we are going to connect .”

Giordano could not believe all the positive feedback and support she received in the Facebook group when announcing she had caught the chicken. 

“I can’t believe people are invested in a story like this, but I just knew we had to try something...Leaving the chicken there was really not a safe option. Between people trying to get a look at her, or if she flew or walked into the highway... There were really no great options there. So getting her out was probably the safest thing to do,” said Giordano. 

The chicken, who has since been named “Ninja Nina,” has been transferred into the care of Shannon Graham’s rescue. There has also been discussion of writing a children's book based on the story of  “Ninja Nina”. It is hopeful that this children’s book may reveal the real reason on why the chicken crossed the road.