Will they come back?

Date sort Score sort
randr ranch

randr ranch

In the Brooder
Jan 15, 2016
31
6
42
We got beautiful hens the other day knowing a few fly. Tonight my daughter opened the coop door a little too far and 2 flew into nearby trees. She is so sad and I would love to get them back. What are the odds they will continue to fly further away? Or is there hope they will return to our yard since the other hens I got with them are still in the coop? I'm kicking myself for not clipping their wings right away, so that they could get used to their new home more. Any tips on luring these hens back?
 
It may depend on how long you have had your chickens and whether they regard the coop as "home". If they do, then they should return at dusk. Maybe put some food or extra treats out near the trees to try and entice them down?

Good luck

CT
 
Good advise from above poster...

I will add that, whatever you do, don't go around chasing them and trying to catch them... that will freak them out and they will go further away.

When they hear the other hens and see them eating, etc, they will get hungry and come back.

At night you could go out with a flashlight and look for them.. they may be sleeping next to or on top of the coop.. or in nearby trees. They are easy to pick up at night as they won't try to fly away.
 
I doubt they regard the coop as their home. It's only been 3 days
th.gif
I'll still put out feed and water near the other chickens and pray they stick around for their buddies. I've told our kids not to chase them.
 
Stranger things have happened
smile.png
I only keep new flock members in the coop for 2 nights and i have not had an issue with one not knowing where to return to. Good luck.
CT
 
Three days is how long it takes to imprint by birds on a new location.

The birds flying up into a tree, were they somehow chased of otherwise frightened? What breed are they and what is their history?
 
If I get one or 2 new chickens I often let them out the day I buy them... they are flock birds and will stick around with the other chickens.
 
Great news about the imprinting. I was thinking it would take longer because they are older and a couple are flight risk.

centrarchid When they first escaped we tried to walk slowly up to them. We didn't get within 15 feet before they flew to the top of our tree and then to another yard altogether. They look like welsummers. I picked up a flock with multiple breeds, for instant eggs. Most free ranged during the day and went to a coop at night. A few really freeranged. They stuck with the flock during the day, but flew into trees for the night or at any signs of danger.

Both were hanging out near the coop yesterday afternoon. One even layed an egg for us. At night fall they went to someone else's tree to roost. That was a bummer because we waited hoping to catch them when the sun went down. We'll see what happens today. I'm now confident they will come back for at least a short while. We're going to put an open box or cage next to the coop with food. They we can shut the door when they go in.
 
Thank you for your encouragement. We caught them!
wee.gif
. We successfully lured them into a very large box many times, but every time we'd start to shut it they'd move faster then we could. Then one morning my son was milking the goats and they followed him into the milking shed. He shut the door making catching them a simple task. Thank the Lord!
 

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