European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 04, 1980, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 20 the stars and stripes thursday september 4, 1980 chickens do Fly and the feat is exhibited each year in Competition at Bob Evans farms in Southern Ohio. Big Flap in the barnyard  Sandra l. Latimer United press International hesitant Birds get a gentle nudge. Hickins arc Birds. They have wings and Cal hrs. And they do Fly. Thai Feal is exhibited each year at the Bob Livans farms at Rio Grande in Southern Ohio at the International Chicken flying meet. Clyde a. Marsh a poultry expert it Ohio state univer sity s College of agriculture is flight director. He gently nudges Chicken chickens if they Don t Flap their Way out of a Mailbox in the allowed time. This year about 30 percent of the chickens would t move he said. The contest starts at i . And you can t wait All Day for the Chicken to make up its mind. The plunger is humane Way to keep the contest on schedule he said. I Don t think it docs much to stimulate the Bird. It just pushes them into the  where  Birds go eggs aptly after  leave  Mailbox High on a Hill is anyone s guess. This year for the first time we had chickens take off and Fly up on top of Telephone poles Marsh said. Handling the chickens up to the Mailbox causes some embarrassing moments. One year As the girl was passing the chickens up she let out a yell and caught an egg the Chicken Laid he recalled. She handed the egg Over to officials and the next year they said a Chicken entered in the contest came from that egg. It did t Fly any better than its  the distance record for a flying Chicken is 302 feet 8 inches held  Lola b., owned  Sherwood Costen of Point pleasant w. A. Lola b., who set the record in 1979, was enshrined into the Coop of Fame this year. I would have said 10 Yean ago you could t get a Chicken to Fly that Long Marsh said. Now my mind is  what Type of Chicken awakes the Best flyer peo ple who Kaie been winning have been working m Chicken psychology rather than physical training Marsh said. They elect chickens that can get away. The Best Chicken is antisocial one that wants to get away fro people. People keep chickens out in Remote barns where they Are away from people then gather them up the night before in the dark put them in a dark Box and bring it to the  he said the Man who owns the record setting Chicken is knowledgeable about animals and has experience with Birds. He put japanese bantams As baby Birds in a room designed so he could reach in through a curtain and feed and water them he said. The chickens never saw him. They did t know what Man was like. He gathered them up and brought them into the contest. Marsh said. They took off like wild Birds. Those kind will try to Fly away More vigorously than domesticated ones japanese bantams Marsh said have a Large Wing Span a Large Tail Light body and More Power weight ratio than other chickens. People competing seriously tend to use these or chickens crossed with  each year in May the meet creates More flutter among people. This year 1,200 people braved fowl weather it rained to egg on their favourites. It appeals maybe because it l different completely unpredictable and goes in spurts Marsh said. Tho crowd stands around and watches. They Don t know when the Chicken will take off like a Bird or a  anyone Ca get a Chicken and enter it even if the contestant borrow it from a barnyard. Marsh s biggest enjoyment the Day of the meet to Natch a copy. "1 get As much kick out of the photographers at the chickens he said. There Are a tremendous number of people taking pictures and it s amusing to see the differ ent Angle they assume As they try to get pictures of chickens going out of the  about 10 Yean ago As publicist Lee Durieaux cackles about it he and his Friend Bob Evans a sausage maker restaurateur Farmer and conservationist were clucking about their childhood. Bob told of How he had thrown chickens out of Bay lofts and off Cliffs and watched them Fly Durieaux Laid. Later Evans approached Marsh at the Ohio stats fair where Marsh was in charge of the fair s poultry department. And the idea of a Chicken flying contest hatched