Have you ever seen a random chicken on Sam Houston’s campus and wondered why?

The origin of how the chickens came to campus is a mystery to most.

“The chickens were just left here on the grounds of the museum,” Director of the Sam Houston Memorial Museum Mac Woodward said.

The first two chickens that originated on the site were named Chico and Sweetie.

“They were one of the first ones that used to come out and sit on the rail,” Woodward said.

The chickens and the museum workers developed a bond between them throughout the years. Visitors can see the chickens around the grounds of the museum and on campus, and it seems locals have grown accustomed to their presence in town.

The chickens’ home is at the museum, but the chickens do not belong to the museum. Regardless of ownership, the museum staff takes care of them daily.

The groundskeeper feeds them once a day, but visitors also enjoy buying feed to give it to them. The museum is not just a historical site; it is also home to beloved wildlife that has become a staple of the city.

The community chickens were popular enough to even have a book written about them. “The Story of the Sam Houston Chickens” tells a story of the chicken’s journey to the grounds of the museum. The Spring 2017 Priority One public relations class, led by Mass Communicates Warner Endowed Professor Peter Roussel, published the book with artwork by art student Victoria Gillis.

All the money that comes from the book sales goes towards scholarships to the mass communication and arts students.
Chickens crossing the road to campus makes the community realize the most enjoyable things in life are simple. The chickens are one of the things that makes this campus unique.