The chickens and my no-good chicken-eating hound appear to have worked out an accord. They've taken to flying the coop and strutting around the yard making a racket, which normally would quickly end in a chicken dinner but he just watches them. Every so often one will sneak under the steps to the backdoor, and then when it's gone he'll duck under there to investigate. Starting to suspect they're cutting me out of the loop on this whole animal husbandry racket.