Border Telegraph | News | Plucky chicken's dash for freedom

Tuesday, 6th January, 2009

Published: Wednesday, 22nd February, 2006 10:30

Plucky chicken's dash for freedom

By Border Telegraph Newsroom

A HEN hunt has been launched after a champion chicken has gone on the run – again.

The Andalusian bird was dubbed Rocky by garden centre staff last summer, after the escapologist bird in the blockbuster film Chicken Run, when it disappeared from an animal garden near Melrose.

Bosses at 100 Aker Wood feared the worst until she showed up three weeks later.

But the Houdini hen has flown the roost again – and a reward is now being offered for her safe return.

Ben Polton, manager at 100 Aker Wood, told us: “Rocky has been away for a week now.

“We have searched through all of the chicken houses, rabbit and guinea pig hutches and even in the parrot’s cage, but she is nowhere to be seen.

“You occasionally find one of the hens hiding in a hutch but not this time.

“If anyone has seen Rocky or knows where she is we want to here from them – we’ll even put up a free coffee and scone for anyone who brings her in.”

A nine-foot-high perimeter fence surrounds the woodland walk at the garden centre.

And there is no sign of any predators making their way in to the enclosure.

Gardener Michael Wands has spent the week searching for his favourite fowl. He said: “We were all relieved when she came back last year – and we have a bit of a soft spot for her. She just disappeared last time then re-appeared. Nobody has a clue where she went.

“The last I seen of her was last week when she was being locked up in the henhouse at night. The next day when we counted the hens, there was one missing. It didn’t take long to work out it was Rocky.”

Rocky shares the woodland park with another 20 cockerels and hens, a dozen rabbits and guinea pigs, three peacocks and a parrot.

And none of the other animals have ever found a way out.

Manager Ben added: “There are always lots of children playing in the woodland walk and we thought that one of them may have hid Rocky, but we checked the bouncy castle and playpark, she’s not there.

“We are almost giving up on her coming back this time – coming to the Border Telegraph is our last hope.”

Rocky is black with distinctive white cheeks and a red hood – she doesn’t answer to her name.

Anyone with information on the runaway hen should call 100 Aker Wood Visitor Centre on 01896 823973.

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