Free Range Chickens or The Little White Hen who Could

Last winter, a person moved out from down the road. They left 2 goats, some dogs, cat, and some chickens. Well, the local constable gathered up all the animals (Noah's Ark anyone?) but the chickens, they couldn't catch them. Long story short, all but two did not make it through the winter. The two that did, rooster and hen, where all over the place. Still unable to catch them. They could fly and roosted in the trees. The first time Rich mowed the back 4o, 2 two weeks ago or so, he told me about a little white hen on a nest. He had seen next door neighbors trying to catch bird, so he thought it was theirs. Phone call says "No". The little white hen left several messy spots on their patio while eating the cat's food. "We don't want her." I told Richard the Lloyds don't want her and could not catch her, so he announces that he knows how to catch chickens and to watch this. He sneaks up on her from behind, (nest is in the corner of back fence), with covering in both hands. Chicken too smart for him and he fails to gather her in too. She had over a dozen eggs in her nest. We logically leave her alone to hatch babies and tell neighbors about plan. When she is nesting, we will try to catch her again and take her around the corner to a man who has egg layers. He can have her. She survived through the winter, she sat through all the horrible weather last week, wind, snow flurries, rain, more wind, frost. We looked out there every morning, "chicken still there." Sunday morning, chicken still there, a few minutes later, we hear a gun shot. Went outside to look, no chicken on nest but saw next door neighbor. I asked if he got what he shot at. Yes, white chicken was no more. Ka blooey! Close range shot blew up chicken. Nothing left. Now eggs in nest are feeding the cats. No more free range chickens at our house.