Can’t catch pullet, who is free ranging and unprotected

[micstrachan]

So we have a rain storm coming. I was delighted to learn this morning that the storm is delayed, and I let the chickens out. After a couple hours, I called them back in with sunflower seeds. Since I have a fat problem in my flock, this is a rare occurance these days.

So 9 of my 10 are safe back in the run. All except Ester, who is one of the pullets. She is the wildest chicken I’ve ever had by far, and the most flighty. At the slightest unfamiliarity, she FREAKS out. For example, I was worried she injured herself the other day when the plastic baggy I used to bring egg shells out blew off a shelf and she acted like it was an impending hawk strike. So Ester’s out in the unfenced, unprotected yard by herself. If I try to catch her, she retreats. It’s impossible; I cannot catch her. And I’m not letting the flock back out, as their treat quota for rounding them up has already been met. Thoughts? Advice? We’re over eight hours from dark, when she’ll naturally want to cone home and still a couple hours from rain. Maybe when it gets closer to rain time, I’ll let them all back out and hope they go in on their own when the storm arrives?

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

Do you have a fish net?
mealworms or treats to lure her in????

 

[micstrachan]

No fishnet, and she won’t come near me in a matter what treat I have. She thinks I’m the scariest monster she’s ever seen. I don’t get it. Anyway, I just checked the entire perimeter of the 1 acre yard, and she is absolutely nowhere.

 

[GC-Raptor]

I wouldn't let out the 9 Chickens that are safe with a storm coming soon.
Hopefully she'll seek shelter when storm hits.
Maybe lock the 9 in the coop just before the storm and leave the gate open for the straggler, and watch for her return then shut the gate. GC

 

[micstrachan]

I wouldn't let out the 9 Chickens that are safe with a storm coming soon.
Hopefully she'll seek shelter when storm hits.
Maybe lock the 9 in the coop just before the storm and leave the gate open for the straggler, and watch for her return then shut the gate. GC

That’s a great idea. Storms here are pretty mild, but we are expecting some heavy rain. I’m so sad. I’ve had chickens for four years and this has never happened. Is this normal for a chicken to just take off and disappear in a short period of time?

 

[micstrachan]

I’m an idiot. I should’ve locked the others in the second half of the run and left the gate open for her when this first happened. She might have gone in if I wasn’t around. Or if I threw sunflower seeds in and stepped back.

 

[GC-Raptor]

Is this normal for a chicken to just take off and disappear in a short period of time?

I had a Barred Rock pullet take off when I tried to catch her. She went into heavy brush.
I couldn't get her to come out and it was getting dark
I thought for sure I'll never see her again.
Next morning she was outside the pen, trying to get in, YES.
I opened the gate and walked away and she found her way in.
I wish you the best outcome. GC

 

[micstrachan]

All good. I locked everyone in the second half of the pen and left the gate open. Hubby pretty much rolled his eyes at me and asked, “What does she look like? I’ll find her.” Sure enough, as I was up above the property looking everywhere, he found her and ushered her into the open gate. Geez, it’s embarrassing how airheaded I acted over that one.

However, lately I keep seeing small holes burrowed under the run. Mole? Gopher? The holes have been pretty small, so I wondered , “Do we have voles here?” Today I moved a low brach roost along with a stump. One of the familiar small holes was under the stump. I dug back a bit, collapsed the tunnel, and filled it in. A few minutes later, I watched Dorothy kill and devour (within under a minute) a TARANTULA! Who knew??? I hadn’t seen one of those since we moved here ten years ago.

 

[aart]

Do tarantula dig their own tunnels?
Didn't you have gopher issues before?
.....I might be mis-rembering.