In mid December my DH rescued/bought his cousin's flock of 17 hens and a roo. I believe most of them to be black stars and reds stars, not particularly pretty birds. Their feathers were dull and they were pretty badly picked. They were given poor quality feed and no treats or medical care. One of the hens however was a lovely color slightly darker than a buff orp. She had a nice personality too. She was friendlier and more outgoing than the rest of my new additions. Sadly tho after about a week she disappeared. We assumed she had been carted off by a hawk since she wasn't yet familiar with the many hiding places provided within their yard.
Today while in the coop I was alone. All the chickens were in the yard or so I thought. I heard a scratching sound and it seemed to be coming from inside the coop. I tipped the nesting boxes forward and there she was - the missing hen! She had been trapped back there for at least 10 days!
She is in a crate in the house now and although thin seems fine! She is quite alert and is scratching about and pecking and making normal chicken sounds. I've given her some warm water with vitimins and electrolites, some warm mash and a scrambled egg. She is filthy so this afternoon or tomorrow when she is stronger she will get a sponge bath.
I have no idea how she could have gotten back there but I will be taking steps to ensure this never happens again. In the meantime my new again chicken has been given a name... Grace for it is truly amazing that she survived and only by the grace of God!
Laura
BTW the remainder of the new flock is doing great! Now that they are on good quality feed, getting oyster shell and treats their feathers are filling in and are developing a glossy sheen. They are friendlier too and look forward to treat time when I feed them by hand. Their eggs are even looking better with a smoother texture. To express their graditude they give me at least 6 eggs a day which given the cold and shorter days is outstanding!
Today while in the coop I was alone. All the chickens were in the yard or so I thought. I heard a scratching sound and it seemed to be coming from inside the coop. I tipped the nesting boxes forward and there she was - the missing hen! She had been trapped back there for at least 10 days!
She is in a crate in the house now and although thin seems fine! She is quite alert and is scratching about and pecking and making normal chicken sounds. I've given her some warm water with vitimins and electrolites, some warm mash and a scrambled egg. She is filthy so this afternoon or tomorrow when she is stronger she will get a sponge bath.
I have no idea how she could have gotten back there but I will be taking steps to ensure this never happens again. In the meantime my new again chicken has been given a name... Grace for it is truly amazing that she survived and only by the grace of God!
Laura
BTW the remainder of the new flock is doing great! Now that they are on good quality feed, getting oyster shell and treats their feathers are filling in and are developing a glossy sheen. They are friendlier too and look forward to treat time when I feed them by hand. Their eggs are even looking better with a smoother texture. To express their graditude they give me at least 6 eggs a day which given the cold and shorter days is outstanding!
