Awol

[geojane42]

One of our Hamburgs has gone missing. They both like to visit the trees and neighbours yards so we decided to clip their wings to keep them closer to home. We caught one and clipped her and were going to do the other one yesterday but she took off before we could do it. She wasn't back last night and there's still no sign of her. We've looked everywhere but they're really good at hiding. We have raccoons and coyotes so she probably made one of them a very nice dinner last night. I just wish I knew for sure. I hope she's not hiding somewhere slowly starving to death. She was definitely not the sharpest knife in the drawer. Any advice on how to lure them back? Everyone's getting clipped immediately from now on.

 

[dawg53]

If you've had your hamburg for quite awhile, she should work her way back home, knowing where food and water are at. Have you checked up in the trees around your home or neighbors' house right at sunset? I have 2 hamburgs as well and their curiosity gets them in more trouble than my other chickens. I had to clip their wings also.My 5 feet tall fence was easily flown over by those two rascals. The clincher was when I went outside and noticed they were missing. I heard a familiar hamburg squawk,turned around, and they were up on the roof of our house lol!! I got some treats that all my chickens love and the hamburgs hurriedly flew down from the roof. They didnt want to miss their treats lol. Dont worry she wont starve to death,as you know they are superb foragers. Put some treats out (if you give your chickens treats) and call your chickens to come get them. Your hamburg might hear that and come running/flying in.

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

when you go to feed them do you usually rattle your feed can or call them....if so try it in the evening but before dark of course..they will not move once the sun goes down and it's dark. I wish you lots of luck.

 

[geojane42]

I can't believe it but guess who decided to show up today!? There are more 'lost cat' posters up in this neighbourhood than cats and very healthy looking coyotes. As I was typing that, DH walked in and told me she's gone again. That chicken is nuts. The others are all in the coop waiting to be tucked in and she's nowhere to be found. I guess maybe the others told her about having their wings clipped since she left.

 

[Kittymomma]

Any chance she's broody and just came home for a quick bite to eat? One of my BR's did that last year, on unfertile eggs no less, and I wasn't able to catch her until the third time she came home. I followed her back to her nest and scooped her up, well I scooped her up after I spent half an hour cutting back the massive overgrown climbing rose bush thing she was under.

 

[geojane42]

That seemed like a very likely explanation so today we told the neighbours (the 'u' is a Cdn thing) that there was probably a hen sitting on an egg somewhere in their yard and to please let us know if they saw her. Otherwise we were going to wait until she came home again then follow her back to see where she was nesting. Well less than a minute later we hear "HERE SHE IS!" and sure enough... there she was. We had a fun 15 minutes of neighbourly fun chasing her around their yard before we finally caught her. We promptly clipped her wing, wrote "bad girl" on her legband so we can quickly tell her apart from the other Hamburg and put her in jail. I figured she should stay in the coop for at least today. What's the standard sentence for repeat offenders?

 

[geojane42]

We kept her locked down with the rest of the flock for several days but she took off again as soon as we let her out. I'm not sure what more we can do other than just keeping her in the coop. I was thinking about putting a little tshirt on her or something that would keep her on the ground. Seems cruel to keep her locked up when all her friends are out free-ranging. She isn't even laying so at this point putting her on the table is starting to look like a good option too. The other two birds we clipped are staying put. This one just seems to be jet powered or something.

 

[CrazyFowlFreak]

Someone that posts here, can't remember who, has a leash for her chickens. It attaches to their leg and then ties to something on the other end, a tie out, maybe? I think it's JewellFarm. I'd try PMing her and see where she got her's or how to make one.

 

[MareeZoCool]

I let my rooster do all the sheparding and searching for the Awol hen we have.

 

[MareeZoCool]

Quote:
I'd like to hear from Jewel Farm or anyone else with good ideas like the leashes for chickHENS