Where do they go?

[Flock Master64]

Hello

I have a flock of 7 chickens. 4 hens, 2 pullets, and 1 cockerel. On Sunday one of my Amber-Links named Jelly-Bean disappeared for a few hours. I looked all over the yard for her, in the coop and all their favorite places but she wasn't there. Eventually she showed up by the coop and she is fine. Monday my White Leghorn disappeared for a short while but not as long as Jelly-Bean. And again I looked all over for her, in the coop and the garage and all their other favorite places and I even went up the driveway and looked onto the neighbors property but I still couldn't find her. Today my other Amber-Link disappeared for a little while then eventually showed. Has anyone else experienced this kind of behavior? If so can you tell me how I can let them free rang with out disappearing?

 

[sourland]

My gut says that they have established stolen nests someplace.

 

[Flock Master64]

How do you mean? I get 3 eggs everyday in the coop from my Amber-Links.

 

[aart]

The longer you free range the farther away they will go.....
.......they will find places attractive to them to hang out that may be invisible to your eyes.

Each day they will expand their range area.
The only way to keep them within the boundaries that you find acceptable,
is to put a fence of some sort up on that boundary.
Only free ranging them a few days a week might shrink their range area.

Sourland has a point, eventually many free range birds start laying in places other than the coop nests.

 

[shortgrass]

My gut says that they have established stolen nests someplace.

I concur... Lol I had one stuck in between the coop and a fence for 2 days before o figured it out and pried her out of there; she had laid an egg but got stuck trying to get out.

Another one would disappear and when I finally managed to follow her, I discovered a nest if 6 eggs under an evergreen tree

And I've found numerous stashes under campers, cars, the coop itself etc etc... They just wanted more privacy than the coop allowed, I tjink.

I stopped free ranging for a couple months to force them to use the boxes, and then I built a second coop for all the "wanderers" and haven't had an issue since, aside from one layer who likes to lay hers by the feed pans while they're eating. Too scared to miss out on breakfast or something lol