Landry backs out of chicken ownership, sends Governor’s Mansion hens packing to Amite

Gov. John Bel Edwards will get to keep his beloved chickens after leaving office after all.

A source close to Edwards told the Illuminator Gov.-Elect Jeff Landry has changed his mind and decided not to keep the chickens, despite his initial request to keep them at the Governor’s Mansion.

A member of the Edwards family was dispatched to Baton Rouge to pick up the hens and bring them to the Edwards’ family home in Amite. The chickens are reportedly back with the outgoing governor, although sources have been unable to confirm what will happen to the coop at the Governor’s Mansion.

Republican Jeff Landry inaugurated as Louisiana's 57th governor in first nighttime ceremony

The chickens and their coop are relatively recent additions to the mansion grounds. Edwards added them in 2016 shortly after he took office, paying for the coop and the hens out of his own pocket, according to The Advocate. The hens provide eggs for the first family. Sources close to the governor said Edwards was known to visit and feed the chickens during particularly stressful days on the job.

A spokesperson for Gov.-elect Jeff Landry has not yet responded to a request for comment.

The chickens, tired from their travels, were unavailable for comment. They will reunite with a growing family. Gov. Edwards and First Lady Donna Edwards welcomed their first grandchild Thursday.

— The Louisiana Illuminator is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization driven by its mission to cast light on how decisions are made in Baton Rouge and how they affect the lives of everyday Louisianians, particularly those who are poor or otherwise marginalized.

This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Former Louisiana governor will keep his chickens after Landry opts out