Plan to give away chicks causes fuss

The “Chicken Outlaw” has run afoul of some animal rights activists.

Andy Wordes of Roswell is giving away 900 3-day-old chicks in Roswell on Saturday under what he calls a Chicken Stimulus Package. For a donation to the Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute in Florida, he’ll give away a chick or two. It’s intended to spread the hobby of raising chicks as pets.

Animal rights groups have decried the Easter tradition of giving fragile chicks as gifts to children who may accidentally kill them.

Wordes, who was cited by the city for raising chickens in his suburban backyard, says he’s built in some safeguards: each chick comes with a care manual, a list of avian veterinarians, a list of Internet resources, and a starter bag of chicken feed.

He reserves the right not to give chickens to anyone he doesn’t trust.

“This is not an Easter chick giveaway,” Wordes said.

“There’s nothing more we can do to make sure the chicks are safe. I’m doing more than the Humane Society and every pet store in America does.”

Despite the effort to protect the chicks, it’s still not a great idea, said Adam Goldfarb, director of the pets at risk program of the Humane Society of the United States.

“It’s a tiny bit re-assuring,” Goldfarb said. “There’s a major difference between having information about care and commitment and understanding that care and commitment.”

Wordes, who calls himself the Chicken Outlaw, is fighting the city to keep his chickens. He says they’re pets. The city says they’re livestock. The case is set to be heard in municipal court in May.

The event starts at 8 a.m. at Greenwoods on Green Street restaurant, 1087 Green Street, Roswell.