BELFAST — A chicken discovered in Belfast around noon March 4 has found a new home with Belfast Police Sergeant Dan Fitzpatrick, who rescued the bird after it was reported by homeowners in the area.

The bird was reported to Belfast Police after a homeowner saw it on Waldo Ave March 3, but it wasn’t until she reappeared the following day that authorities were able to nab her.

Fitzpatrick said that the Leghorn chicken, initially thought to be a rooster, was having difficulty navigating the recent storm and was walking in circles in roughly a foot of snow.

Police posted about their newly acquired feathered friend on social media, where Fitzpatrick theorized that after escaping her flock she had been unable to return to them after the heavy snowfall.

After speaking with nearby residents and chicken owners to ensure they weren’t down a bird, Fitzpatrick said he decided to add the bird to his own flock.

With five guinea hens and 27 chickens, it was easy to add another to the bunch, who lay roughly 22 eggs per day during the egg-laying season. This season will make his fourth as an owner of fowls, though with the addition of his 33rd there will be more eggs this time around.

While his daughter loves collecting the eggs, Fitzpatrick said his wife “bakes a lot,” though not enough to eat through 20-plus eggs per day. He said he also gives eggs to neighbors and coworkers.

The chicken, who suffered some frostbite to her comb and missing talons, is reportedly adjusting well.

“She was very curious [about her surroundings] this morning,” Fitzpatrick said.

Erica Thoms can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com