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    2 Dead Chickens Again Found in the Middle of the Road on Same 3-Block UWS Stretch

    September 23, 2025 | 9:16 AM - Updated on September 30, 2025 | 11:06 AM
    in NEWS, OUTDOORS
    60
    A pair of dead chickens found at the Broadway median on 91st Street. Photo by Matthew Elefant.

    By Gus Saltonstall

    It has happened again.

    For the third time in a little over a year, a pair of dead chickens has been found on a Broadway median within the same Upper West Side stretch of blocks.

    On Tuesday morning, two dead chickens were discovered on the median at 91st Street and Broadway.

    Here is the pattern that has emerged.

    • September 23, 2025: 2 dead chickens found on the median at 91st Street and Broadway
    • May 24, 2025: 2 dead chickens found on the median at 89th Street and Broadway
    • June 25, 2024: 2 dead chickens found on the median at 92nd Street and Broadway

    In all three cases, the chickens bear a striking resemblance to one and other, and the animals are laid out in the exact same way as before: on the outer ring of the street medians.

    The chickens found in May of 2025 at the Broadway mall on 89th Street. Photo Credit: Sari Anthony.

    The Rag has not been able to come up with answers so far in this mystery, but will continue to investigate the matter.

    Read More:

    • Pair of Dead Chickens Found in the Middle of the Road for 2nd Time in 3 Block UWS Stretch
    • 2 Dead Chickens Found in the Middle of UWS Road

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    Please limit comments to 150 words and keep them civil and relevant to the article at hand. Comments are closed after six days. Our primary goal is to create a safe and respectful space where a broad spectrum of voices can be heard. We welcome diverse viewpoints and encourage readers to engage critically with one another’s ideas, but never at the expense of civility. Disagreement is expected—even encouraged—but it must be expressed with care and consideration. Comments that take cheap shots, escalate conflict, or veer into ideological warfare detract from the constructive spirit we aim to cultivate. A detailed statement on comments and WSR policy can be read here.

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    60 Comments
    Bill Williams
    Bill Williams
    1 year ago

    Diversity is wonderful in all it’s manifestations. Embrace it.

    23
    Reply
    Jackie
    Jackie
    1 year ago
    Reply to  Bill Williams

    Sorry, can’t embrace torturing or murdering animals for fun. Find a new ritual.

    4
    Reply
    Observer
    Observer
    1 year ago
    Reply to  Jackie

    Sarcasm, obviously.

    0
    Reply
    J R
    J R
    1 year ago
    Reply to  Observer

    What?

    0
    Reply
    Sarah
    Sarah
    1 year ago
    Reply to  Bill Williams

    Are you a vegetarian or vegan, perchance?

    0
    Reply
    Chris
    Chris
    1 year ago
    Reply to  Bill Williams

    Agree. Criticizing voodoo is racist, or something….

    17
    Reply
    Peter
    Peter
    1 year ago

    Mystery? It’s not a mystery. Just some wahoo bringing their “culture” to the road median on the UWS.

    34
    Reply
    Good Humor
    Good Humor
    1 year ago
    Reply to  Peter

    sorry…what’s a wahoo?

    1
    Reply
    Observer
    Observer
    1 year ago
    Reply to  Good Humor

    Possibly “yahoo”?

    1
    Reply
    Cas
    Cas
    1 year ago
    Reply to  Good Humor

    A fish or a UVa alumni

    5
    Reply
    Citycatsman
    Citycatsman
    1 year ago
    Reply to  Peter

    Oh…as opposed to some wahoo who airs his nasty assumptions in the WSR.

    9
    Reply
    Peter
    Peter
    1 year ago
    Reply to  Citycatsman

    I’m so sorry. Didn’t mean to offend you. I forgot that in the WSR we’re supposed to only air our praise for slaughtering chickens and leaving them on the side of the road – the pinnacle of human achievement and civilization.

    20
    Reply
    Vera
    Vera
    1 year ago
    Reply to  Peter

    In early Christianity a dead chicken symbolized the sacrifice of Christ. So much for “their” culture.
    I bet it’s some spoiled kids trying to get media attention.

    3
    Reply
    Miriam S
    Miriam S
    1 year ago
    Reply to  Vera

    Or the Jewish ritual of Kaporos. During Yom Kippur Eve a live chicken is swung over one’s head before slaughter as atonement.

    8
    Reply
    neighbor
    neighbor
    1 year ago
    Reply to  Miriam S

    But none of these showed up at Yom Kippur.

    6
    Reply
    Phoebe
    Phoebe
    1 year ago
    Reply to  neighbor

    And those get eaten (or given to the poor), not discarded on the side of the road.
    No cultural relativism to see here. Oh well.
    Next?

    1
    Reply
    Lee
    Lee
    1 year ago
    Reply to  Miriam S

    A horrible ritual:” let’s slaughter an innocent animal to atone for OUR sins.” Likewise the idea that “a dead chicken symbolized the sacrifice of Christ.” (I presume they killed the chicken in that one as well). How about more loving compassion for other living creatures (sounds more Christ-like to me).

    9
    Reply
    Ask me how I know
    Ask me how I know
    1 year ago
    Reply to  Lee

    Those chickens are available as food (but not kosher) so how does that differ from other slaughter for food? If you are a vegetarian advocate then yes equally abhorrent but not more so.

    2
    Reply
    Observer
    Observer
    1 year ago
    Reply to  Miriam S

    Sounds like an outmoded ritual. Is there a movement that forbids such a practice?
    The street chicken corpses sound more like voudoun, which is cruel to animals; or bizarre pranksters.

    7
    Reply
    Lew Simon
    Lew Simon
    1 year ago
    Reply to  Observer

    Queens visits the UWS!

    3
    Reply
    Sandi
    Sandi
    1 year ago

    That is a terrible photo. One can’t tell where they are st all unlesss one looks at the full version of it in last article.

    0
    Reply
    Sandi
    Sandi
    1 year ago

    I think you mean the rag will continue to report on this not investigate.

    6
    Reply
    Chris Gault
    Chris Gault
    1 year ago

    Was RFK Jr. around? 😄

    48
    Reply
    MRC
    MRC
    1 year ago

    Kind of begs the question why DIDN’T the chickens cross the road…

    21
    Reply
    Carmine
    Carmine
    1 year ago

    It’s a message from Don Barzini– Luca Brasi sleeps with the chickens.

    7
    Reply
    SCPNYC
    SCPNYC
    1 year ago

    Chicken Rapture

    5
    Reply
    Rand
    Rand
    1 year ago

    Very bad news about where your chicken dinner comes from for anyone clutching their pearls over this. I think there are more racists than vegans among the outraged.

    2
    Reply
    J R
    J R
    1 year ago
    Reply to  Rand

    More conclusion jumping.

    1
    Reply
    Allison
    Allison
    1 year ago

    Cue satanic panic in…

    3
    Reply
    Wijmlet
    Wijmlet
    1 year ago

    Geschlagt kapora?

    0
    Reply
    Phoebe
    Phoebe
    1 year ago
    Reply to  Wijmlet

    There’s Tylenol for that.

    0
    Reply
    Tito
    Tito
    1 year ago

    Sounds like Brujería to me.

    1
    Reply
    Gi Na
    Gi Na
    1 year ago
    Reply to  Tito

    Timeline matches up on 2 out of 3. (june, sept).

    1
    Reply
    David
    David
    1 year ago

    Looks as though RFK Jr. has been stalking the hens in Central Park and the UWS again!

    10
    Reply
    Observer
    Observer
    1 year ago
    Reply to  David

    Our beloved park coyote couple, Romeo and Juliet, probably would enjoy some hens left near the Delacorte Theater.

    0
    Reply
    Curmudgeon
    Curmudgeon
    1 year ago

    The chickens are now for sale at Barzini’s.

    19
    Reply
    NewYorkerUWS
    NewYorkerUWS
    1 year ago

    Very creepy. Thought I saw something like this on a median on Broadway in the 70s.

    0
    Reply
    GiveMeCake
    GiveMeCake
    1 year ago
    Reply to  NewYorkerUWS

    The ‘70s were crazy.

    5
    Reply
    Lisa
    Lisa
    1 year ago

    With all the security cameras around it shouldn’t be hard to identify who is dropping off dead chickens.

    16
    Reply
    Linda
    Linda
    1 year ago

    Could be a Santeria ritual.

    10
    Reply
    Susan
    Susan
    1 year ago

    Maybe a chicken Hawk is dropping them there

    2
    Reply
    James Monroe.2025
    James Monroe.2025
    1 year ago

    Completely off topic but where can I get a good Sufganiyah in Manhattan? Are they made for today’s holiday?

    1
    Reply
    Foodie
    Foodie
    1 year ago
    Reply to  James Monroe.2025

    Off topic and wrong holiday. It’s like asking for Easter eggs for Christmas.

    4
    Reply
    Jimbo
    Jimbo
    1 year ago

    SANTARIA

    2
    Reply
    Regina
    Regina
    1 year ago

    Santeria stuff… but they usually just throw them away in a bag, I wonder what the purpose of placing them like that is… I’m sure there’s video from restaurants etc.

    5
    Reply
    Observer
    Observer
    1 year ago
    Reply to  Regina

    Attention.

    0
    Reply
    Observer
    Observer
    1 year ago
    Reply to  Regina

    It’s just to mess with everyone, add that little touch of surrealism every day.

    0
    Reply
    Ken
    Ken
    1 year ago

    I guess we’ll never find out why the chicken crossed the road.

    0
    Reply
    Freda
    Freda
    1 year ago

    Animal cruelty, which we have laws against. But a law is only as good as its enforcement.

    8
    Reply
    Michele
    Michele
    1 year ago

    This is a standard brujeria, or voodoo sacrifice from ancient cultures. Not necessarily scary as it can be used to help a patient but it can be also used for the darker aspects of these traditions. The placing on Broadway I find fascinating myself. I hope it was a sacrifice for good.

    3
    Reply
    Yvonne Langer
    Yvonne Langer
    1 year ago

    Do the cameras show who is responsible?

    1
    Reply
    Inpeace
    Inpeace
    1 year ago

    One year ago (around this time ) I found a young, white chicken in a box in the Rambles. Passerby & some tourist were standing looking puzzled, while some were taking videos. Being local, I took the chicken to the Bird Rescue on Columbus & 88th. They could/would not take her as they only take wildlife birds. I was told to take her to the Animal Rescue at 102nd St., which I did. After some paperwork & intake I surrendered her there. On follow up, once she was treated & healthy, she was taken in by a sanctuary farm for farm animals upstate.

    13
    Reply
    J R
    J R
    1 year ago
    Reply to  Inpeace

    Thank you decent, compassionate Inpeace.

    3
    Reply
    Gretchen
    Gretchen
    1 year ago

    Does this beg the question, why did the chicken cross the road?

    0
    Reply
    Jackie
    Jackie
    1 year ago
    Reply to  Gretchen

    No, it doesn’t.

    0
    Reply
    UWS Angel
    UWS Angel
    1 year ago

    Popeyes trying to create a buzz

    0
    Reply
    Sarah
    Sarah
    1 year ago

    Look, this is unsanitary and people shouldn’t do it, but anyone who thinks raising chickens in hellish conditions (that produce ungodly levels of pollution, by the way), slaughtering them, buying their flesh, and eating it is somehow more “civilized” is kidding themselves. Or racist. Or both.

    4
    Reply
    Observer
    Observer
    1 year ago
    Reply to  Sarah

    Factory “farms” are hideous.

    3
    Reply
    Pay up CU
    Pay up CU
    1 year ago

    I don’t practice Santeria, I ain’t got no crystal balllllll

    0
    Reply
    Phoebe
    Phoebe
    1 year ago

    It’s multi-cultural. Tolerance, and all that jazz.

    0
    Reply

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