Bantam Hen Going AWOL?

Twilightlicious

Hatching
6 Years
Jan 16, 2014
4
0
7
Hello. I've had a flock of six for around a year now, a fiesty Australorp Rooster, Amber Sexlink Rooster (Ithink), 3 ISA Browns, and one Bantam hen, (planning on getting some more hens to even up those ratios), and my Bantam has always been a weird layer. She will often change her laying spot, usually when the ISAs discover hers and take over, making her go into boxes, trash bags, thorn bushes, and whatever.

For the past week or two, we couldn't quite locate her eggs, but I'm certain she's been laying as I hear the clucking she makes (she sounds like a mouse) when she's about to lay.

By this time, she must have had a clutch of them.

Yesterday, she was missing the entire day, no where to be seen in the yard, and didn't go back to the coop, though they like to ditch it for sleeping in trees a lot, but she wasn't in any. It's acreage, and the big bushes where snakes probably reside, but never come to this side is covered by the fence, which they should be able to fly over. I thought she must have been killed by something, as I found one of my hens dead last week, leaving me with five, but I don't think she was attacked by anything judging by her body.

Thinking she was dead, I see her in the morning, grazing the fields with the other four, so I thought it must have been a coincidence. When I go to check on them again, she was gone, and has been gone all day, not going in the coop.

Could she possibly have some chicks she's incubating? I've looked all around the yard as much as I could, but haven't come across her, or the eggs. I'm going to try and follow her tomorrow if she comes out. Is this normal? All help would be appreciated.
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They free range the entire day too, and have had no problems with that. :3
 
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She's sitting on eggs if she's gone most of the day. If she had chicks, they'd be out in the field with her.
If she is broody, she'll need to be on the nest about 23 hours a day. When you see her in the field, follow her and she'll take you to the nest.

You must not have many predators where you are.
 
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Ah, I suspected that. Thank you. :3

Lots of threats here in Australia. o.o Just haven't had any trouble... yet. ;p
 
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