# What's up with dead chickens at cemeteries **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 26, 2017, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-dead-chickens-at-cemeteries/802742 "2017-11-26T07:36:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2017, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-dead-chickens-at-cemeteries/802742/1 "2017-11-26T07:36:07Z")
Today I visited a local cemetery and back behind a big tree I found a dead chicken in a bag. Curious, I googled “found dead chicken at cemeterey” and was bombarded with hits. It seems like people find dead chickens in bags in cemeteries all over the country. Curiously none of the linked articles I clicked on provided the reason. The cemetery I visited was old. Most of the residents had been born in the mid to late 1800’s. So what’s the straight dope? (Interesting note, this guy was buried there: [Tyree H. Bell - Wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyree_H._Bell) ) ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2017, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-dead-chickens-at-cemeteries/802742/2 "2017-11-26T08:35:31Z")
its normally Santeria and voodoo stuff based on African beliefs in the south where they have African/slave graveyards youll see this more … ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2017, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-dead-chickens-at-cemeteries/802742/3 "2017-11-26T08:52:44Z")
So crazy, just this past week I went to put Christmas flowers on my Mothers grave and found a dead crow, or grackle, whatever those birds are called, near her headstone. I was afraid to touch it, you know germs and all. I thought it quite unnerving. I went by the guard shack and reported it and they seemed alittle freaked too. I don’t know something weird is going on. Of course this is Arkansas and we have had that birds dying and falling out of the sky thing-y. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2017, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-dead-chickens-at-cemeteries/802742/4 "2017-11-26T12:55:32Z")
It’s just called “the sky.” ---
**Author:** ![Tatterdemalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/43a26b/32.png) [@Tatterdemalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tatterdemalion)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2017, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-dead-chickens-at-cemeteries/802742/5 "2017-11-26T13:13:25Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > It’s just called “the sky.” But that’s not important right now. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2017, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-dead-chickens-at-cemeteries/802742/6 "2017-11-26T16:06:31Z")
> [@nightshadea](#): > > its normally Santeria and voodoo stuff based on African beliefs > > in the south where they have African/slave graveyards youll see this more … I figured it might be something like this. But this was in central California. I’m curious as to the point of it. Are they cursing the grave or the person? Are they ensuring their place in heaven? The weird thing to me was that there didn’t seem to be any recent burials there. The newest one I could find was 17 years old. So whatever the purpose, it appears to need to be ongoing. Also weird that it’s so prevalent. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2017, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-dead-chickens-at-cemeteries/802742/7 "2017-11-26T16:45:53Z")
There are bands killing chickens. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2017, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-dead-chickens-at-cemeteries/802742/8 "2017-11-26T16:59:39Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > I figured it might be something like this. But this was in central California. I’m curious as to the point of it. Are they cursing the grave or the person? Are they ensuring their place in heaven? The weird thing to me was that there didn’t seem to be any recent burials there. The newest one I could find was 17 years old. So whatever the purpose, it appears to need to be ongoing. > > Also weird that it’s so prevalent. In Santeria, the point of a sacrifice is usually to obtain a favor from the gods (orishas). It could be a wish for money or a job or curing an illness. Perhaps sometimes it is to wish ill on an enemy but that’s not the main objective. Sacrifices may be made in cemeteries as spiritual places, and not directly related to anyone buried there. Santeria is mainly Caribbean rather than Mexican but I don’t see why it couldn’t turn up in Central California if there are any Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, or Cubans around. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2017, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-dead-chickens-at-cemeteries/802742/9 "2017-11-26T17:01:48Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > So crazy, just this past week I went to put Christmas flowers on my Mothers grave and found a dead crow, or grackle, whatever those birds are called, near her headstone. I was afraid to touch it, you know germs and all. I thought it quite unnerving. I went by the guard shack and reported it and they seemed alittle freaked too. I don’t know something weird is going on. Of course this is Arkansas and we have had that birds dying and falling out of the sky thing-y. Birds can die anywhere. Sometimes they roost in cemeteries because there are lots of trees. Ones that die overnight from cold or because they are ill may be found there. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2017, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-dead-chickens-at-cemeteries/802742/10 "2017-11-26T17:06:52Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Sacrifices may be made in cemeteries as spiritual places, and not directly related to anyone buried there. Ah, that makes sense. Thanks.