Recent move, chicken deciding she's feral

[shadowsgrneyes]

Hey!
I moved about 3 months ago and my chickens now have a massive patch of property to free-range. (the freeranged before but only in a suburban backyard) Part of that property is dense woods with underbrush. I had 5 chickens adult chicken. Now I have 3.
One vanished to the ether. Simply gone one day. No feathers, no signs of struggle. She was there when i looked out the window mulling about the yard with the others then the next second wasn't. The other bird I thought had poofed too until i discovered shes been living in the woods pretending shes a wild bird. She comes home for food but roosts and nests in the forest. . . I have a small suspicion the other one is out there too.

The other three seem content to stay home and only forage a little bit in the deeper woods but they still come home to roost and come when I call. Its just the one that is nesting for sure out there and the other is a maybe as I haven't actually seen her (but its dense woods so its easy to not see her if she's out there.)

Any suggestions on how I might lure my girls home? and prevent future girls from going wild on me (with the larger property I'm doubling my flock and the babies are almost ready to join the rest of the flock)

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Get out their favorite treat and call your chickens to come and get it or simply put the feeder in the runs and when she comes for food just lock her in.
To break her from trying to become federal lock your flock up for a week or two so that they know that the coop is their home.

 

[Mrs. K]

^^^ What they said.

Also in woods, a lot of owls and hawks make chickens just disappear. I would recommend having a predator proof run that will fit your flock. It is an expense, but once the predators find you, they will be back.

I have found that I can free range, just not all the time.

Good luck.

 

[Hopperkiller]

Wooded areas are good for coyotes, foxes, and bobcats. Coyotes devastated my flock without a sign and had me trying to guess until i saw a daytime strike 10 foot from my window. Lock them up for a while and the regulate their free range time to a certain period of time. We did that and havent had anymore missing birds. They will however chew you out while waiting for the scheduled release. Patience must not be in their nature.

 

[shadowsgrneyes]

Well i found the one renegade(hunted and crawled through underbrush after her when i saw her sneak off after meal time). . . hidden in the woods she was being broody over a secret nest. *smacks forehead*. the secret nest has been cleared out(we don't have a rooster so she's just wasting eggs) She is now on lock-down.
all that worry and she was just broody. i cant believe i didn't think of it, she has a habit of going broody on my this time of year.