Six-month-old Rooster went missing from his henhouse in the preschool yard some time between Thursday and Friday morning last week, while his human playmates were on holiday.
He was noticed missing by parents rostered to feed the school's pets during the week-long break and his disappearance has been broadcast on Radio Wanaka's lost and found pets slot.
Devastated toddlers back for the first day of their new term yesterday were still coming to terms with the absence of their feathered friend and are pleading for his return.
Teacher Kay Scott said it had been quite sad for some children who liked to feed Rooster and his hen friend, Chook Chook, every morning before they settled into their routines.
Sam Traynor (5), who goes to primary school next week, and her friend Sienna Nicholson (4) spent yesterday drawing portraits of Rooster for the Otago Daily Times.
Sienna said she did not think Rooster's crowing was a problem because he did not do it at the right time.
''Sometimes he did it at whariki time [mat time]. That's when we have stories and share news,'' Sienna said.
The two girls said they very much enjoyed feeding Rooster on banana skins and fruit scraps.
Hugo Darby (4) demonstrated Rooster's ''cock-a-doodle-doo'' - which was a bit croaky - and said he would like Rooster returned as soon as possible.
Aspiring Beginnings teachers said the neighbours had been advised when Rooster turned out to be a boy, instead of the girl they had hoped he would be, when he was given to the school in November.
The immediate neighbours are the Wanaka Primary School, the Wanaka Presbyterian Churchand local contractor Roger Taylor, none of whom have complained.
Mr Taylor was not at home yesterday when the ODT visited, but the teachers said he had contacted them and said he liked having Rooster as a neighbour.
Teachers had put cards in nearby letterboxes asking to be contacted if problems occurred.
They did not think Rooster could have flown away or hopped the fence and believed someone must have wrung his neck, although they do not want to tell the children that.
A new home could have been found for Rooster, Ms Scott said.
''It was really sad to find out while on holiday last week that Rooster had disappeared . . . He wasn't even in full voice yet. He had a strange cock-a-doodle-doo going on and the builders next door to us were cock-a-doodle-dooing
back to him, which was quite funny,'' she said.
Sympathetic community members have already offered to replace Rooster with a hen.
