Farmer who reported theft of 45,000 chicks charged with fraud, mischief
The alleged theft caused a stir in farming circles and stumped police
Article content
More than two years after a reported theft of 45,000 chicks from a Huron County farm, OPP have laid charges – against the farmer who reported the theft.
Huron OPP said Wednesday a 41-year-old South Huron man is charged with fraud over $5,000 and public mischief in a case one farmer described as “mind-boggling” when it was reported in April 2023.
Recommended Videos
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Farmer who reported theft of 45,000 chicks charged with fraud, mischief Back to video
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Huron OPP received a report on April 20, 2023, that 30,000 15-day-old chicks were stolen overnight on April 19.
The number of stolen chicks was later revised to 45,000. The reported loss was valued at more than $139,000, Huron OPP said.
The alleged theft caused a stir in farming circles and stumped police.
“It’s absolutely mind-boggling,” Ethan Wallace, a farmer and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture director for Huron and Perth counties, said in a Free Press story on May 16, 2023.
“Anybody that’s chased a bird or anything knows how they scatter. To undertake rounding up 30,000 of them is, yeah, absolutely mind-boggling.”
In the same story, an OPP spokesperson said investigators were puzzled.
“We’re really lacking physical evidence to support the report of the theft, but it still doesn’t explain where are the chicks and how are they in the barn one day and gone the next?” Const. Craig Soldan said. “It’s still a mystery.”
Stealing that many chicks – each weighing about 500 grams – would not be easy, he said.
“You would need a crew of people and large trucks that would be temperature-controlled. And that operation would take several hours and require certain equipment, people with skills and abilities.”
Police did not divulge any details about the findings of the lengthy investigation that led to charges against the complainant.
The 41-year-old man was arrested Wednesday and is scheduled to appear in a Goderich court on May 26.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Huron OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or (519) 482-1677.
Ontario is Canada’s largest chicken producer, processor and consumer with 1,300 family-run chicken farms that contribute more than $5 billion annually to the province’s economy, Chicken Farmers of Ontario says.
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.