Mets reliever Tim Byrdak brings live chicken into clubhouse

Did Mets reliever Tim Byrdak prank his followers on Twitter or did the pitcher with the aviary-sounding last name actually buy a live chicken and bring it into the team's clubhouse?

Video evidence proves the latter but it still hard to tell.

After last night's 6-4 victory over the Yankees, Byrdak— the team jester— posted this message to 7,552 followers on his iPhone: "ok people I bought a chicken from China Town and now he is our mascot.....don't want to see him get whacked......please help!"

Well, that is a live chicken and it does appear to be the Mets clubhouse carpet so you can take it at face value.

After Frank Francisco called the Yankees "chickens" before the game and players did the Chicken Dance and played chicken-themed songs in his honor,  I guess the Mets' joker— who once dressed as Hulk Hogan— just might be crazy enough to bring a live farm animal into the locker room.

And the Chicken legend grows.