Fowl mystery afoot in Saanich

Police and firefighters north of Victoria had to work hard not to ruffle any feathers during an unusual roundup involving dozens of chickens. Personnel were called to five locations on the Saanich peninsula Thursday to catch 91 hens. Officials quickly hatched a plan to herd the birds into a tennis court while waiting for animal control crews to arrive. Central Saanich Const. Ann Piper says civilians helped with efforts to capture the mislaid egg layers that were wandering in the mostly rural area. She says farmers told officers the hens looked old and past their prime, and one had to be put down. Piper says everyone is still brooding over the question of where the chickens came from, trying to determine if they escaped or were dumped.