At the Erin Fall Fair, an interactive exhibit meant to engage children by allowing them to handle newly-hatched chicks and learn about farm life was disrupted when 32 chicks mysteriously vanished. The disappearance, suspected to be a theft from the chicks’ warming box, occurred between 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Mayor of Erin, Michael Dehn, discovered the missing chicks alongside their owners, Gary and Eileen Brown, after returning from the fair’s opening ceremony. The lid of the brooder had been removed, and the chicks were nowhere to be found.
Dehn speculated that the theft might have occurred before the fair officially began, with the culprit potentially gaining access through an unlatched door that appeared closed due to a strategically placed piece of hose. The Erin Agriculture Society promptly turned to social media for assistance in locating the chicks, emphasizing the urgency of their return to ensure their well-being.
The chicks, a popular attraction at the fair, were integral to an educational agricultural exhibit cherished by the owners and fair attendees alike. Following the setback, Dehn intervened by providing his own daughters’ free-range chicks to salvage the exhibit, a gesture that was warmly received by Gary and Eileen. Their joy at the arrival of the replacement chicks brought a sense of relief and satisfaction to the otherwise disheartening situation.