Georgia town bets on giant bushy chicken to attract tourists

FITZGERALD, Ga. – Why did the tourists cross the road? One south Georgia town hopes it will be to see a giant bushy chicken statue.

Fitzgerald Mayor Jim Puckett tells local news outlets that the town is building the world’s largest chicken topiary, a 62-foot steel-framed chicken with plants growing on it.

Wild Burmese chickens have long roamed Fitzgerald. Puckett aims to leverage that reputation to draw tourists.

He says: “They want to see chickens, so we’re going to show them a chicken.”

The city is spending $150,000 on the topiary, designed to top the 56-foot tall steel “Big Chicken” at a Kentucky Fried Chicken in Marietta.

Puckett says the Fitzgerald topiary could even include an apartment for overnight rentals and an observation deck. It should be ready by year’s end.