The school believes that the chickens might have been stolen and quickly reported the crime to police, who are currently investigating.

The chickens Red, Black Betty, Apricot, The Colonel and Hedwig went missing along with their water bowl. The chickens had lived at the school for a number of years, being looked after by students and staff.

Raising chickens in schools has long been considered to be a good way of teaching responsibility and nurturing skills at an early age. Information on similar programs says that "chickens provide students with an opportunity to better understand how to properly care for and establish a positive relationship with animals."

The chicken's eggs were used in the school's cooking and gardening programs as well.

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"The chickens are highly valued by staff and students at the school ... Each class at Kalinda School was responsible for the naming of Red, Black Betty, Apricot, The Colonel and Hedwig and they took turns in caring for the chickens' daily needs," a spokesperson for NSW Education said.

"Students were, understandably, upset to learn the animals had been taken."

This comes just on the heels of recent crimes just down the road from the school, after Woodside Hall and a COVID testing trailer were broken into and vandalised.

UPDATE: Three of the chickens have since been found roaming the streets and have been returned by concerned citizens. Anyone with information on the remaining chickens is encouraged to contact Kalinda School at 6962 3271 or Griffith police at 6969 4299.

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