I found a mysterious bird in my run tonight as I went to go count mine and lock them up for the night. It was pouring and cold tonight and my birds were all tucked nicely in the coop (except Vivi, who has minor brain damage and doesn't know to go into the coop). This mystery bird was laying on the ground, shaking, barely moving, and freezing cold. She's in a hard molt too, so that doesn't help.
Let's start from the very beginning though - my neighbors bought 6 chickens and 2 ducks a few weeks before I got mine. I didn't even know about them until the day mine went into the coop for the first time and my neighbor came over and told me they had chickens too. Fast forward a few months...he starts free ranging. Two red star hens show up on my property every day and wander around my chicken pen. I didn't mind them at all. My birds didn't mind at all. One day, they got caught in a net that hangs down the side of my pen. I helped them out, and fell in love with how sweet they were. I named them Martha & Henrietta. When I started free ranging my chickens, they immediatley became part of the flock, but went home to their own coop at night. Eventually, they started roosting on top of my chicken pen. I noticed they were very skinny, so I put food and water out for them. They started laying in a nest in my garage. I offered to buy them from the neighbors since I was already feeding, watering, and sheltering them. They said no, and locked them back up in the coop. I hadn't seen them since.
Today, when I opened the door to free range mine, I saw two red star birds in a heavy molt wandering in the woods behind my pen. I crouched down and called to them, thinking they were Martha & Henrietta who would usually run to me. They got up and ran the other way. I thought that was weird. I did my chores and went back in the house until tonight when I went out to lock my girls up and found this mystery chicken on the ground.
I scooped her up and ran inside with her. My mom helped me wrap her in a towel and warm her up. She nuzzled her head into my neck for warmth. I thought she was Martha and after setting her up in a basket with blankets and food, I ran back into the rain with a flashlight and searched for her sister. I didn't find her, so I went to the neighbor's house to see if the other one was in the coop. Surprisingly, both girls were in the run roosting. So who's chicken was this? I walked across the street and knocked on my other neighbor's house who also has chickens. He took me out to his barn and counted all of his birds. They were all there.
The only other home she could have come from is over 2 miles away, but I don't think she came from there. I still haven't found the other bird I saw earlier in the day, but I am going to look again tomorrow. She is resting comfortably in a laundry basket lined with a thick fur blanket and a towel. She's since stopped shaking and has eaten a slice of turkey and some pellets. I'm already falling in love with her.
I'm not sure what to do with her. Any ideas? If I have to, I have ZERO problems with mending her to health, introducing her to the flock, and loving her forever.
Also looking for names for this sweet girl! I was thinking something like Mystery but I don't like that name. Does anyone have any pretty synonyms for Mystery that would work as her name?
Oh and I'm pretty sure she's a red star. The little feathers she has left are reddish orange and she has some black on her wings.
Let's start from the very beginning though - my neighbors bought 6 chickens and 2 ducks a few weeks before I got mine. I didn't even know about them until the day mine went into the coop for the first time and my neighbor came over and told me they had chickens too. Fast forward a few months...he starts free ranging. Two red star hens show up on my property every day and wander around my chicken pen. I didn't mind them at all. My birds didn't mind at all. One day, they got caught in a net that hangs down the side of my pen. I helped them out, and fell in love with how sweet they were. I named them Martha & Henrietta. When I started free ranging my chickens, they immediatley became part of the flock, but went home to their own coop at night. Eventually, they started roosting on top of my chicken pen. I noticed they were very skinny, so I put food and water out for them. They started laying in a nest in my garage. I offered to buy them from the neighbors since I was already feeding, watering, and sheltering them. They said no, and locked them back up in the coop. I hadn't seen them since.
Today, when I opened the door to free range mine, I saw two red star birds in a heavy molt wandering in the woods behind my pen. I crouched down and called to them, thinking they were Martha & Henrietta who would usually run to me. They got up and ran the other way. I thought that was weird. I did my chores and went back in the house until tonight when I went out to lock my girls up and found this mystery chicken on the ground.
I scooped her up and ran inside with her. My mom helped me wrap her in a towel and warm her up. She nuzzled her head into my neck for warmth. I thought she was Martha and after setting her up in a basket with blankets and food, I ran back into the rain with a flashlight and searched for her sister. I didn't find her, so I went to the neighbor's house to see if the other one was in the coop. Surprisingly, both girls were in the run roosting. So who's chicken was this? I walked across the street and knocked on my other neighbor's house who also has chickens. He took me out to his barn and counted all of his birds. They were all there.
The only other home she could have come from is over 2 miles away, but I don't think she came from there. I still haven't found the other bird I saw earlier in the day, but I am going to look again tomorrow. She is resting comfortably in a laundry basket lined with a thick fur blanket and a towel. She's since stopped shaking and has eaten a slice of turkey and some pellets. I'm already falling in love with her.
I'm not sure what to do with her. Any ideas? If I have to, I have ZERO problems with mending her to health, introducing her to the flock, and loving her forever.
Also looking for names for this sweet girl! I was thinking something like Mystery but I don't like that name. Does anyone have any pretty synonyms for Mystery that would work as her name?
Oh and I'm pretty sure she's a red star. The little feathers she has left are reddish orange and she has some black on her wings.
