The Fighting Chickens

I was doing a preflight one day and exited the jet way to go down to the ground level for an exterior check of my aircraft.  We do this on every flight.  This flight happened to be leaving Los Angeles.  It was a beautiful sunny day.  As I descended the jet way stairs I noticed some commotion that was not normal.  I saw something flash by the bottom of the stairs and realized after a moment it was a chicken and there was a man chasing it.  As I continued down the stairs I saw more chickens, then I realized that they were all roosters and they were all fighting.  I stopped one of the ramp workers and asked what was going on.  Apparently many fighting cocks are shipped to Hawaii under the guise of shipping “mating roosters”.  Whoever had packed these roosters used balsa wood to make the crates, which were the size of a coffin.  During the inbound flight several of the roosters had pecked through the balsa wood and started to fight each other.  When the poor ramp worker opened the cargo door about 12 angry fighting cocks flew out onto the ground scaring the poor guy half to death.  When the container was pulled out of the airplane it broke open and all the rest of the roosters flew out.  By the time I got to the scene the call for help was being answered.  Ramp workers were showing up in tugs, trucks, and running on foot.  I saw someone trying to catch an angry rooster that ended up chasing the man.  Someone else was holding a rooster in gloved hands but had no idea what to do with it except to stand there holding a rooster.  Two roosters were fighting on top of a stack of U.S. mail.  It was easiest to catch the roosters while they were fighting and they were all fighting.  I continued my exterior inspection in dumbfounded bewilderment.  Eventually all the roosters were caught and taken away.  I ran up the stairs and entered the flight deck where I found the captain eating a chicken sandwich.  I remember laughing and saying, “Man do I have a story for you”!  Be Safe, FlyGuy.