Brownie the chicken killed in attack on kindy

Who killed Brownie the chicken?

That is the question after someone entered a Tauranga kindergarten property and killed its pet chicken early this week.

A teacher at Welcome Bay's Maungarangi Kindergarten found Brownie dead with her neck snapped and body dumped in the bushes close to her makeshift coop on Tuesday night.

The children said goodbye to their beloved resident chicken in an emotional burial near their playground yesterday.

The kindy held a special service as the children held hands and carried Brownie's body up to her gravesite at the kindy before reciting a karakia (Maori prayer) and throwing dirt onto the buried chicken.

The children said they were sad to say goodbye to their pet.

They were upset when they came to kindy on Tuesday and could not find Brownie after her home had been overturned the night before, teacher Natalie Bell said.

"They were missing her. Her house was tipped over and she was missing Tuesday morning. We called her and got out her favourite food and she didn't come," Ms Bell said.

There are two other resident chickens but Brownie stole everyone's hearts, Ms Bell said.

"Then it wasn't until we were putting away the other chickens that evening we found her. She was just chucked in the bush."

Not only was Brownie a friend to the kids, she also settled new children who were starting at the preschool.

"She was really good for helping settle children who were just beginning. We'd take them to see Brownie and she would come for a pat, she was good like that.

"She was very well loved, Brownie was the only chicken who had a name because she was so gentle and she used to come up to us and the kids could feed her from their hands and they could carry her around," Ms Bell said.

She said Brownie's death hit the kindy hard.

"It's not just a vandalism thing now - it's been taken that step further."

She said police visited the kindergarten yesterday after they were called Tuesday evening. Another chicken will be brought in to replace Brownie.