VACAVILLE --

Thousands of live chickens were strewn across Interstate 80 near Vacaville early Thursday when a truck spilled its load, the California Highway Patrol said.

The truck jackknifed near Lagoon Road and scattered the chickens about 2 a.m., said CHP Officer Marc Johnston.

Crews shut westbound lanes and spent hours clearing 2,500 chickens from the roadway. A few of the birds were still alive, but Johnston said "quite a few" weren't.

The trucker was unharmed. The CHP is looking into why he crashed.