Sixteen five-foot tall fiberglass chickens, a public art project benefitting nonprofits and charities, have cracked out of their shells to roost in Marietta this summer.

Marietta has little chickens because of the city's famous landmark, the Big Chicken, at the intersection of Roswell Road and Cobb Parkway.

The Big Chicken is a local landmark and a direction finder for pilots and tourists coming to the area, Marietta Welcome Center Director Theresa Jenkins said.

The Lil Chickens idea came about through the Junior League of Cobb and Marietta, who also recruited artists to design the chickens, Jenkins said. "They came up with the idea and approached the Mayor, and it just kind of hatched from there." 

Businesses and nonprofit organizations sponsored the chickens at different levels, Jenkins said. "Each of the artists submitted a design, and when the organization that wanted to sponsor a chicken came into play, they were able to choose their design."

The chickens will be sold at an auction, and the money will go to charities sponsored by the nonprofit organizations when the project ends, Jenkins said.

If you want to explore Marietta and try to find where the chickens are nesting, drop by the Marietta Welcome Center, 4 Depot Street, for hints.

The Lil Chickens art project is a goal in Marietta's vision to promote public art in the city.

For more information, call the Marietta Welcome Center at 770-429-1115.