26 chickens were beheaded and then laid out in a pattern on the ground near a home in a semi-rural area south of Fairbanks, Alaska, Police have informed.

The Anchorage Daily News has reported that the homeowners, who kept 29 white chickens in a backyard coop, discovered the headless carcasses when they went out Monday morning to feed their birds.

State Trooper Ken Vanspronsen said, "They were very concerned as to why somebody would do it, and kind of spooked."

A police spokeswoman said the carcasses were laid out in a straight line with a circle of dead birds at one end, in a "lollipop" pattern.

Megan Peters said, "It's kind of a mystery as to why somebody would tear off chicken heads and then arrange the bodies in a linear pattern. It's certainly something that is perplexing. ... It's unsettling, to say the least."

The Daily News has reported that authorities would not name the homeowners, saying they didn't know if the incident was meant as a threat against them or just simple vandalism. (With Inputs from Agencies)