One thing before you go…

Fossil Rim has been releasing Prairie Chicken for a long time, so they know what they are doing to give these birds every chance of survival. Before letting them go into the wild, you have to do a couple of things.

Their process consists of several steps requiring 7-9 people. 1-2 people have to go and collect the Prairie chickens and put them into breathable bags. Then they set them on the matted floor with fans blowing around the chicks to keep them cool. After that, they can start the process of cataloging the chicks. The first station has two to three people working at it. One or two people get a bird and then weigh the chicken. Then they give the chickens a health check to make sure they are healthy enough for this. If they are underweight they can’t go, because they might be at risk. Any signs of sickness will also delay their release.

Image by Fossil Rim

After they log it down, they give all the female chickens radio collars, to keep track of them. The chickens are put into a box with layers of filters for the birds to breathe. They are now ready for transport the release locations.

Image by Fossil Rim

After a long drive in a custom-made air-conditioned trailer, the chickens arrive at their home. They release prairie chickens into a controlled space, so the birds can get used to the land without the dangers of predators, such as Great-horned Owls, hawks, bobcats, and coyotes. Also, they feed them vegetables to keep them healthy before they let them out. Then after two weeks, they open the door of the pen so the chickens can go out. They also leave vegetables out just in case they can’t find food for the day. An exciting day for all the staff who have worked hard to keep this amazing bird from extinction.