My favorite brown EE is MIA!

[mommas chickens]

I have been letting my hens free range during the day for over 3mths now and since 1 of them has started laying I make them stay in run until about 1hr before sunset so anyone that wants to also start laying can do so in the correct place I let them out this afternoon like always and when I went out to shut the run door and do a head count she's not there!! I looked every were Im hoping shes just hiding under the deck or something and shows up in the am she's my sweetest and my absolute favorite!!!!

 

[azygous]

I understand your anguish, believe me. EE's are my favorite, and I also have one particular one right now that I'm very partial to.

Before that, my favorite was Michelle a five-year old EE I had adopted after her owner died in a highway crash. One day a bobcat got into the pen and scattered the flock. After I'd located them, I knew one was missing since her pile of feathers were all that remained, but in my grief I couldn't remember who it was. When my mind settled down enough to think properly, it dawned on me that it was my favorite EE Michelle that had been killed.

So yes, I understand what you're going through. I sincerely hope she turns up, but sundown is a terrible period fraught with predator dangers. Perhaps, until your girls all begin to lay and get the hang of using the nest boxes, you might consider just confining them. Mid-day is a far safer period for chickens to free-range.

Please try not to beat yourself up over this. You wouldn't believe how dangerous my own "chicken learning curve" has been to my own flock.

 

[Happy Chooks]

I too have lost a favorite to a fox. Climbed a 6 foot fence during the day and got her.

I really hope you find her. I'm so sorry.

 

[mommas chickens]

Thank you everyone! She showed back up...so strange she was just happily clucking outside my main fence. She was gone 2 days! We live right next to a cattle field that always has coyotes etc. guess she's got a guardian angel! But needless to say yes everyone is staying locked up and I am super parinoid now!

 

[Happy Chooks]

So glad you found her!

 

[Chick15]

Has anyboday else noticed that it seems like predators "purposefully" go for favorites???? I have read many, many posts talking about a predator killing their favorite chicken... Im scared for Lacey (my SLW, I love her!!!)...

 

[mikensara]

awww shes back give her a few extra treats and hugs

 

[Wildflower_VA]

About the third time I let my young chickens out to free range on my two acres, under my supervision, a neighbor's young beagle ran in the midst of them and scattered them into my woods. I immediately started looking for them, but they were hiding too well for me to find any of them for a couple of hours. I finally found five of the six, but the smallest and most timid pullet and the least bright could not be found. I called and looked for her until dark that day and many times the next day, then I gave up thinking she was dead. The next day I pulled in the driveway coming home from church and I looked out towards their pen, and there she was trying to get through the fence to get back with the flock. I had cried and cried because I thought she was dead, then I cried and cried because she was alive!

 

[mommas chickens]

Seriously so I guess we should never call any of them our favorites so they all stay safe! LOL.