Case of the Disappearing Rooster

It was a beautiful sunny morning as I wandered outside to feed and water the chickens. I had the hen house door slightly open as I was running some cold water into the waterer. I happened to glance sideways and noticed Cockzilla heading towards the open door. I tried to head him off, but I was too late. He squeezed out the door and stood outside taunting me.

Cockzilla was crafty as he dodged my attempts to guide him back into the house. I decided to leave him outside because if I left the door open the hens would all run out to be with their 'man', and I had too many things to do to keep an eye out on the hens for the day. So I left Cockzilla outside on his own. I checked on him a few times during the day, and as I suspected he kept close to the pen and didn't wander off.



At about 6pm I asked Son to go out and try to get Cockzilla in the hen house. He came back and reported that the rooster was gone. Can't be! He had stayed close to the hens all day! I went out and searched for him to no avail. Then Husband went out and searched the woods around our home - he also could find no sign of Cockzilla. It was a mystery as to where he could have gone. I saw no sign of feathers suggesting that he was gotten by a fox or a hawk, but I resigned myself to the fact that this is what must have happened.

At 9pm I went out to give the hens their nightly food and water. As I was stooped over the feeder I heard a familiar "brrrp" at my back, and as I turned I spied Cockzilla roosting inside the house! I had no idea how he managed to get inside.

The next morning I checked the outside pens and found that the chicken wire had given way close to the ground. I can only deduce that Cockzilla, desperate to be with the girls, had pushed and pushed until the wire broke free and he could squeeze through the hole back into the pen.