Not sure where to post this. In late June some of my 8 week old chicks got over my line fence. I am in Southwest Michigan somewhat in the country. Every one around has at least 1 acre, one that connects at the back corner of my place has 40+ acres. That area of two of my neighbors is quite over grown with dense brush and trees. When my chicks got out in June, I lost one. The rest I was able to recover. The lost one I gave up on after about 4 days, the brush is just to heavy to see or catch any chicken. We have a lot of coyotes, raccoons, skunks etc in the area. The bird in question is a full Partridge Chantecler that we hatched from birds we have gotten for Ideal Hatchery the year before. Recently, I was told by one neighbor that they see this bird every morning but cannot get close, another has told me the same thing but they see the bird in the PM. As soon as you approach, she heads into the deep brush. We have tried nets, traps and herding with no luck. I have a gate in the fence that I have left open for over a month and scattered cracked corn inside the fence on my side where she could see the other chickens bit no luck. She is now about 24 weeks old and appears to be in good health, looks to be about the same size as the others that hatched when she did.
It is now October. The bird has been loose for over 3 months. Since I cannot catch her (it is a pullet/hen), I don't feel right letting her stay until a coyote catches her. I am considering taking her with an air rifle.
Has anyone else had this type of a problem? Any ideas on ways to trap her? A large live trap as used for 'coons etc will not work, she is too wary. We cannot get close enough to use a net. Also there is the question of do I want to return her to the flock? Will she teach the rest to live in the wild? Has she picked up any illness or parasites that she could transmit to the rest?
It is now October. The bird has been loose for over 3 months. Since I cannot catch her (it is a pullet/hen), I don't feel right letting her stay until a coyote catches her. I am considering taking her with an air rifle.
Has anyone else had this type of a problem? Any ideas on ways to trap her? A large live trap as used for 'coons etc will not work, she is too wary. We cannot get close enough to use a net. Also there is the question of do I want to return her to the flock? Will she teach the rest to live in the wild? Has she picked up any illness or parasites that she could transmit to the rest?