"Come on, [it] had to fly the coop sometime in its life and find an eggsighting life," said another.
The leader of the pack was "Clucky", who was accompanied on some of her adventures by her sidekick, "Nugget".
Both belong to the Love family, who were on holiday when the chickens went roaming and are still learning details of their chickens' summer adventures.
The chickens had escaped once previously, when the gate was left open last year, and they turned up at the neighbouring Jan Rasmussen art gallery (owner Jan had heard the buzzer and thought a visitor had arrived, but instead found two chickens inspecting her gallery).
But this summer they have ventured further, being caught on Sunday by Clyde woman Kristy Velenski, who posted a photo on Facebook of a startled Clucky, labelled "Found: Crossing the Road, in Clyde at Challenge garage".
Love family members (from left) Annie, 10, Lily, 5, and Reuben, 12, reflect on the adventures of their chicken "Clucky" and her sidekick "Nugget''. Photos / Pam Jones, Supplied
The Loves had also learned of another trip the chickens had made, to the Dunstan Hotel, two days before the garage rescue, family members said.
Clucky and Nugget called into the inside bar and "especially enjoyed" the garden bar outside, before being taken home by one of the Loves' neighbours, hotel bar manager Natasha Kelly said.
But not before "chicken tenderloins" had been written on the blackboard specials as a "little joke".
The renegade chickens were yesterday oblivious to having become the talk of the town.
And Clucky's owner Nathan Love said the chickens' adventures had given "a whole new meaning" to the "Why did the chicken cross the road" joke.
