Leafie, a Hen Into the Wild

Leafie, a crowded battery cage hen, fakes a faint to trigger the farmer's removal of her and the other hens. He assumes she has died along with the others, so she can slip away. The plan marks the beginning of her dangerous bid for freedom.

Shortly after the escape, Wanderer, a wily wandering mallard, saves Leafie by trapping the one-eyed weasel and shooing danger away. He leaves before revealing his name, leaving Leafie with both gratitude and curiosity. This rescue seeds the impossible journey that follows.

Returned to the yard, Leafie is shunned by the rooster who insists her fate is to lay eggs, not join a flock. Feeling unwelcome, she slips out into the wild with little more than hope. The rejection becomes the push she needs to seek a life beyond the farm.

In the wild, Leafie meets Mr. Otter, who has heard of her trek and agrees to help. He finds Leafie a place to live and assists Wanderer in keeping her safe on the road ahead. The alliance becomes crucial for her survival and future mission.

Leafie reunites with Wanderer and learns he has a mate awaiting him. That very night, One-Eye attacks and Wanderer's mate is tragically killed in front of Leafie. The attack seals Wanderer's fate and steels Leafie's resolve for what lies ahead.

Before dying, Wanderer entrusts Leafie with guarding his egg for a few days and, more importantly, taking his unborn child to the Everglades. He asks Leafie to seek revenge on One-Eye and to protect the life inside the egg. Leafie accepts this heavy burden with quiet determination.

The egg hatches into a duckling that imprints on Leafie, treating her as its mother. Leafie tearsfully accepts the responsibility and names him Greenie, forging a deep bond that will steer their journey toward the Everglades. Their life together begins with support from Mr. Otter.

Greenie grows with help from Leafie, Mr. Otter, Bat, and Owl, who teach him to swim and eventually fly. Yet the water-bird community greets Leafie as an outsider, and Greenie blames the world and, by extension, his mother for the lack of acceptance. The duo presses on through isolation.

Chirpie warns that the farmer plans to clip Greenie's wings, so Leafie and Mr. Otter stage a distraction by freeing all the hens, triggering a broader escape. The plan sparks chaos as the trio fights their way toward freedom. The farmer's rooster reveals a fake comb, forcing them to split up to keep going.

One-Eye closes in on Greenie and a dangerous chase ensues. Leafie intervenes to shield Greenie, but a broken branch sends them tumbling toward a cliff. Leafie mourns what seems to be Greenie's death, only for Greenie to survive the fall and begin learning to fly; One-Eye clings to a ledge.

Autumn arrives and a vast flock returns to the Everglades, signaling a new chapter. Leafie finally understands Wanderer's instruction: her mission was to guide Greenie to a place where he belongs. She quietly accepts her role within the flock and the life that awaits them.

As an adult, Greenie meets his flock and enters a contest to become their guard duck. A rivalry with Red Head emerges, and Leafie helps by removing a human string from Greenie's leg, enabling his victory. The moment cements Greenie's acceptance in the group.

After the victory, Leafie discovers a nest of baby weasels and tenderly cares for them, deepening her bond with the wild. Rooster finds a new home with Mr. Otter, and Greenie prepares to say goodbye to Leafie to join his flock again. But One-Eye returns, and Leafie steps in to protect Greenie.

Leafie learns the baby weasels are One-Eye's offspring, revealing the brutal cycle behind One-Eye's killings. Leafie and Greenie flee as One-Eye closes in, and the autumn journey heads toward a new life. In a final sacrifice, Leafie allows One-Eye to feed her offspring so Greenie can stay with his flock; One-Eye kills Leafie, and the ending lingers with the hint that One-Eye may fly in spirit as Greenie soars.