Chicken Talk
What you’re about to read is a true story about a real chicken whose extraordinary life led to the development of this web page for chicken-lovers. Toward the end of the story, you’ll meet our host, Kansas Red.
The Story of Big Red
The story of Big Red is a true story. And it happened right now, in our modern day and age.
Big Red, the nationally famous Rhode Island Red Rooster, arrived in the little town of Scio, Oregon in 1998, riding in the back of a pickup truck. Nobody knew where Red came from, or how the rooster got into the back of the truck, but once Red jumped out at the Scio Feed Store he took up residence and was soon patrolling the town. The owners of the feed store, Audie and Marion Hiekkela, came to love Red — as did the entire town.
Red would walk out of the feed store every morning and stroll down the main street to the grocery store where the Willliams Bread delivery man would feed him a cinnamon roll. He would then stroll back up the main street, pausing to pick up little food gifts left for him by other businesses along his route. His veterinarian, Dr. Sally Cole, had her office right there on Main Street as well, and Red knew which doorfront was hers.
During the day he liked to hang out at the Scio Lamb Fair pens, which are just across the street from the feed store. Every evening he and his good friend, Smokey, the feed store cat, would sit on the porch and take the evening breeze together.
Red had a number of adventures over the years, and every time something interesting or dramatic happened in Red’s life the press would show up in droves.
The story of Red was picked up by major television and print media across the nation and his adventures in Scio have thrilled chicken-lovers from Oregon to Maine.
Soon Red was featured in a collection of essays published by an Oregon author, and an entire book of his clippings was made. You can buy Big Red stickers, note cards and tea towels in the feed store. Red was even named Most Honored Citizen one year in Scio. And he rode in the parade every year.
Earlier this year Red was attacked by a dog and his good friend Smokey came to his aid and sent the dog yelping. This adventure soon made the news, but more importantly it affected all of the children in the local grade school, who took up a collection of pennies for Red’s veterinary bill and wrote stories and drew pictures that told how Smokey’s bravery and loyal friendship moved them.
Red recovered from that first attack, but 2006 was Red’s last year in Scio. He was attacked a second time by another dog that leaped from a car window in July of 2006. Although a passerby slammed on his brakes and ran to Red’s aid, Red was barely able to stagger to Dr. Sally Cole’s door before collapsing. Despite emergency care he died shortly thereafter with grief-stricken Audie and Marion Heikkela by his side.
Red was so beloved in Scio that a memorial was held to celebrate his influence and more than 200 people, including a state representative, attended. Red’s memory lives on in Scio and across the nation.
After Red’s death, fans of Red, and of a town that would have a chicken “Sheriff,” began volunteering their own birds as possible replacements for Red, but the Heikkela’s eventually decided that Red just couldn’t be replaced.
They have donated all of Red’s clippings, photos and the original drawings made by the grade school children to the Scio Historical Society.
However, in the meantime, a fine, young Rhode Island Red Rooster had arrived from Kansas to try out for Sheriff of Scio. A local reporter from the Stayton Mail newspaper, who was a chicken-lover and had followed Red’s story for some years, volunteered to take Kansas Red, since the Heikkela’s had decided not to keep any of the roosters who had applied for the job of Sheriff.
Kansas Red turned out to be an extraordinary chicken in his own right, and is currently practicing walking on a leash so that he can stroll down Alberta Street in Portland, Oregon during a regularly-held art evening.
And he has inspired this web-page, dedicated to chicken-lovers or country folk from anywhere. When Kansas Red is not touring and meeting new friends, he lives on a farm in Woodburn, Oregon with cows and cats and other chickens.
Kansas Red would like to invite all chicken-lovers to enjoy his web page and send in your own chicken stories and photos to share.
Also, bookmark this site and stay tuned for an upcoming chicken costume contest you and your chicken can enter. Fans of Kansas Red and chickens in general will choose the winners and chicken-themed prizes will be awarded.
Chicken-themed goods will soon be available, too. If you are a craftsperson who makes quality goods with chicken themes and would like to sell them through our country coop, please email us at KansasRed@countrycoop.org.
You can read several Big Red stories by clicking on headlines on this page.
Audie and Big Red at the Scio Parade - Red’s last photo.
This is Kansas Red shortly after he arrived in Scio. He was originally candidate #1 for Sheriff and was personally delivered by his former owner. Kansas Red now calls reporter Kathleen Ellyn his closest friend and lives on a farm in Woodburn, Oregon.
Another picture of Candidate #1.
