SILKY IS MISSING

Distressing news. I went out to the chook pen this morning, as per my morning ritual, and counted four chooks, not five. Elusive, shy always hiding Silky had vanished. The extreme co-incidence of the fact that yesterday we let the chooks out of their pen (only for the second time) but this time with the dogs around, isn't lost on myself or A. All went well, the kelpie and labrador were keen, but not fierce and the sausage dog took no notice at all. Now I say extreme co-incidence as we herded them all back into the cage. I even counted the heads. A says that the question was asked where Silky was, and I said she's in there. Which I am sure she was. But this morning she is gone. So doubt has crept in. I have looked closely within the chook pen, and found a gap in the fence where she could easily have snuck out. The taste of freedom yesterday, so recent and yummy. A distressing, panicked call to A, who says that chooks have extreme homing instincts, and as long as the local roaming big black dog, or a fox hasn't got her, she could very easily end up back in the pen tonight.... or a least pushed up against it wanting to get in. There are no signs of white fluffy feathers anywhere. So our guess is she's gone for a wander. I too went for a wander around the streets and laneway looking for her. No sign. I wasn't sure how to look. I'm sure it falls on deaf ears, going "here silky....here chookchookchooky" It's very distracting. Who would have thought one could get attached to a chicken. I will update as soon as a conclusion is reached to her whereabouts.