Chicken AWOL!! Help!

[threehens]

Well, I was moving the chicken tractor by myself because I'm stubborn and thought I could and lifted it too high and my three hens got out. Pullets, I guess, since they haven't laid an egg at 30 weeks or so but that's beside the point. Anyway, thought they'd go back to roost so left them alone and came back to find them in a tree. Shook them out of the tree, chased them around, and after settling, caught two. Two are safely at home but one is way up high in a tree and can't reach it. What do I do? Rename myself twohens? Will she come back in the morning to her friends? Can we go out of town tomorrow morning at 9am for three days and not feel guilty? I'm so mad at chickens right now...

 

[Opa]

She'll rejoin the others. They don't like to be by themselves.

 

[dmonaghan]

I had a problem like yours except mine (4 hens and a rooster) flew the coop! Over the fence! I called the vet to find out how to clip their wings. He said to catch one, turn it upside down and hold it like it was layingon your hand. Pull out the wing and you will see 2 sets of feathers. Cut the big feathers to line up with the second layer of feathers. The ones you cut are the "primary feathers" The big ones. Don't cut the little ones. They won't fly out any more! You will need help to hold the chicken while you pull the wing out (extend it to full extension) I never got the chickens that flew the coop...I bought new ones.

I'm learning too. I'm very new to BYC and am still working on sending and receiving messages. See you in the forum.... Dot the new egg.

 

[lyndatu]

Sometimes when I forget to put the girls back into the coop at night I always catch them up in the tree. And I thought cats grow on trees!

They only go up to the trees to sleep, so in the morning she will surely come down. And yes, chickens don't like being alone so she will rejoin the other hens.

Good luck!

 

[mama3chix]

Dmonaghan !! You'll love it here

Very addicting

I'm online every chance I get ,learning new things about chickens