A plan to escape, and leave egg on her owner's face.
Later that day, Justin Cronin was unloading a trailer of scrap metal in Alexandra.
Out popped Charlie the Brown Shaver, one of the Cronins' five chickens.
She had hitched a ride for the 90km journey from Tapanui, and despite sticking around while the trailer was unloaded, the moment it came to rounding up Charlie, she fled.
Grave concerns are now held for the hen, last seen about 2pm on Tuesday.
Mr Cronin's wife, Nicole, said the family were trying not to think of Charlie's fate.
''It's actually quite sad because we don't know where Charlie is ... she has probably ended up in some dog's mouth''.
The couple's children, Josh (9) and Lachlan (11), were ''pretty gutted'' to hear the news.
However, Mrs Cronin said she could see the funny side of the story.
The sight of her husband running about trying to catch a chicken in Alexandra's industrial area would have been entertaining for any onlookers, she said.
''I guess, in the end, it's made a pretty good story ... so many people have had a laugh out of it. [Charlie] may have been going to Central for the warmer climate.''
The family did not expect to see her again.
''It would be really cool if Charlie did get home. It would make them [the children] happy''.
Charlie did not have a record as an escape artist, but had been known to hop into cars if they were left open.
The Cronins did not know what direction she was headed, but if anyone spotted her they could contact the Otago Daily Times with information.
