OrganicFarmWife
Crowing
I have a new question. My 4 month old mixed breed flock has been free ranging for a few weeks now. I have to confess to not counting them every single night on the roosts, but when I did I came up two short. One was under the coop so I dragged him out, but after another three days I wrote off the second. Then one morning when I was checking my gigs I swore I heard a chicken, but came up empty handed after digging around the tall grass and blackberries. Two days later I saw the RIR darting through the hog pens to snag some corn and water. She escaped just ahead of the posse of pigs sent to bring her to porker justice. So here's the question.
The hogs are a good 500ft from the coop, and there's a hill cutting off the few from each other. None of the other chickens have ventured even half that distance. Will they? Will the escapee return on her own? And if I can manage to corner and catch the escapee will she re-acclimate to the coop and hanging with friends? Or is she a lost cause? Help! First flock (can u tell?)
Thanks
Adventureness varies greatly with each breed, and there are often individuals within a flock that march to their own drummer. RIR are one of the more adventurous breeds. Yes if you can catch her before a predator does you can reacclimate her to the coop, I would keep her locked up for a week, within the coop.
Also check her very carefully for list feathers, or wounds. I have had overly bullied birdd chose to live outside the coop rather then face a flock that attacks them. If that is the case, you will need to keep her seperate for awhile to try to let the bird heal, and then become safely reacquainte.
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