Chicken Life: Clementine Rules The Burlington Roost

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — While many St. Petersburg families had to get creative with everyday entertainment at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, one family got busy raising chickens.

Kerry Travilla, a former cat owner, said her sons had wanted chickens for some time.

"We got the chickens at the beginning of the pandemic," Travilla said in a Patch interview as a chicken snuggled in her lap.

"The boys had gone to Countryside Day School, and they have a farm," she said. "Every Wednesday, the kids have farm chores, and both the boys fell in love with chickens when they went to school there."

She said the pandemic was the perfect time to get chickens because she knew her boys would need the entertainment. First, she built a coop in their Central Oak Park house's yard for their future chickens: Clementine, Lola and Freya.

When the coop — known as The Burlington Roost — was finished, they ordered babies from a hatchery. About a year later, their personalities have formed, and they know who rules the roost.

Clementine's theme song is "Bossy," by Kelis, according to the owner. But she can't bring all the boys to the coop since no roosters are allowed in her neighborhood per city of St. Petersburg regulations because they'd be crowing, waking neighbors up, Travilla said. That's why Clementine and her sisters had to send their brother off to a farm, where he is now the ladies' man. Travilla said he's living with 13 girls, so he is quite happy.

Clementine is also a little vain. After a Patch reporter took a photo of her, she walked over to the iPhone and stared at the picture of herself. When the photo disappeared, she turned her butt to the reporter and walked away.

"She loves watching videos of roosters and chickens," Travilla said. "She loves iPhones and iPads."

Cars will pull up and people will take photos of the chickens, according to Travilla.

The girls lay about 18 eggs a week, and Travilla gives some of the eggs to her neighbors. They bring vegetables and treats over for the chickens and sometimes walk over to say hello to the birds.

Lola, who is second in command in the pecking order, sometimes likes to challenge Clementine just to see if she can rule the roost.

Recently, Lola had to wear what Travilla calls the "butthead" glasses to prevent her from picking feathers off Clementine's rear, which has a bald patch now. Picking feathers off another chicken is known as aggressive behavior, Travilla explained.

Freya, who is last in line, doesn't like confrontation so she's just like, "Whatever," Travilla said.

Her sons have found a new hobby during the pandemic thanks to the birds.

"It's been very fun having the chickens," 17-year-old Madox Bown said. "Especially having to stay home this past year."

Madox and his brother, Huxley Brown, 14, share chicken chores every evening, which includes cleaning the water, checking food bowls, cleaning the coop and spending time with their girls. Travilla and her sons like to capture special chicken moments, such as this Tik Tok video of Lola's first egg.

And on the weekends, Travilla invites some of her friends over and they pop open champagne and sit outside the coop and watch the chicken show.