Who knows how many roads Charlie the chicken has crossed in her bid for feathered freedom?
And her owners will probably never know why.
Charlie, who escaped from owner Justin Cronin in Alexandra on Tuesday, after hitching a ride on a trailer from the family farm in Tapanui, is still at large.
Mr Cronin's wife Nicole said yesterday afternoon she still had not received any news on the wayward hen's whereabouts.
The family, including sons Josh (9) and Lachlan (11), were resigned to never seeing her again.
Central Otago SPCA co-ordinator Shirlene Steel said she had not heard anything about the escaped chicken.
''I have had a lot of random things happen in the last few days but have not had any chickens.''
She said she would stay on the alert for any hens turning up in the Alexandra area.
The Cronin family still had four other chickens, Rocket, Begurk, Clickcluck, and Hennypenny to keep them company, although there would be fewer eggs for breakfast.
