Henery Hawk, voiced by Mel Blanc, is a young, eager chicken hawk with a strong desire to hunt and eat chickens. In this particular adventure, Henery struggles with his identity and desires, which are shaped by a revealing conversation with his father. His father explains that they are outcasts, despised and hunted because they are chicken hawks, and Henery himself is driven by the instinct to hunt chickens, a need he finds hard to ignore.
The story kicks off with Henery expressing his craving to find a chicken, showing his determination and youthful enthusiasm. Meanwhile, in a nearby barnyard, the familiar character Foghorn Leghorn is busy working on his nails, complaining about the monotony of his daily routine. Suddenly, the Barnyard Dawg, also voiced by Mel Blanc, decides to torment Foghorn by throwing a watermelon at him, which strikes Foghorn as he is about to finish filing his nails. Enraged, Foghorn retaliates by spanking the Dawg with a paddle, sparking a comical chase that is hindered by the Dawg's leash. The chase results in slapstick antics, including Foghorn shouting, "AHH SHADDAP!!!" while making sure the Dawg doesn't get away.
The interaction between Henery, Foghorn, and the Dawg unfolds with a mix of tricks and deception. Foghorn, sensing that Henery could be useful in his schemes, persuades the young hawk that he is a horse and the Dawg is a chicken, leading Henery to bite the Dawg's tail and spark a series of humorous pursuits. The Dawg, growling and snarling, tries to catch Henery but gets repeatedly choked by his leash and falls over multiple times. Foghorn continues to manipulate the situation, even putting a knight's helmet on the Dawg and hitting him to make his head shake comically.
Foghorn then devises a plan to outsmart the "foxy chicken," which involves Henery luring the Dawg away with music, causing him to suffer accidental mishaps, including landing on a rollerskate. When the Dawg finally asks Henery what his true goal is, Henery straightforwardly admits, "You're a chicken, I'm a chicken hawk, and I'm gonna eat chicken!" realizing he's been duped, the Dawg calls out Foghorn as the real threat, but Foghorn quickly tries to deny that he's a chicken. Henery, catching on, recognizes Foghorn as the real target and sets a trap to tackle him.
In a humorous twist, Henery "releases" the Dawg to confront Foghorn, who manages to barely escape and end up being chased into a barn. There, the barn's resident horse forces both Foghorn and the Dawg out, knocking their heads together in the process. Despite their differences, the two enemies shake hands, expressing a sense of camaraderie, before re-entering and teaming up to threaten the horse. Henery then enters the scene, triumphantly capturing Foghorn, the Dawg, and the horse, with the young hawk confidently asserting, "One of these things, I say, one of these things, has got to be a chicken!" as he walks off with his prize.
Throughout this animated escapade, the antics, trickery, and quick-paced humor highlight the classic slapstick style of these characters, emphasizing their personalities—Foghorn's slyness, Henery's determination, and the Dawg's relentless but often clumsy pursuit. The story combines themes of deception, cleverness, and persistence, ultimately showcasing the youthful spirit of Henery Hawk as he tries to fulfill his instincts amid the antics of Foghorn Leghorn and the Barnyard Dawg.
