Chicken escaped - but in the dark AND at a new location

[BDutch]

Congratulations! Now keep them inside a fence for a week or so.

 

[Beverfly]

When we have to corral unwilling chickens early (if we will be leaving before sunset and out very late) we make a cattle chute out of an old baby play fence. They can easily fly over it but tend to just run inside and into the coop when herded by my kids. If you have some netting or snow fence to make a temporary chute around the coop leading to the door give that a try. Good luck, I hope she turns up!

 

[MY FYN 79]

Glad to see your chicken showed back up! We didn't get as lucky and lost a young polish this way a couple months ago.

 

[LisaMarie81]

Thanks all.
And FYI my birds don't free range at all. I live next to about 100 acres of wildlife management area so they would be picked off so fast!
For their safety they are corralled in a covered run at all times. (With 2 1/2 ft of skirting and about 400 six inch yard staples holding it all in place). That's why I panicked. (And so did she. She's in her coop at dusk every night now. She wasn't before. Was trying to roost in the run overnight.)

 

[KellysCreatures]

Evening all. I have a small flock of only 10 birds divided into 2 coops. Today we relocated both coops from an old house to my new home. As I was securing the coops for the night I noticed one of my girls refusing to go into the coop. Since I border about 45 acres of wildlife forest now obviously I wanted her IN the coop. when I went to grab her I accidentally hit the door and it opened. She is now out, in the dark, on land she does not know (named the wildlife management area - loaded with predators).
My assumption is at this point I just have to wait and see if she comes back (safely). Not sure what I can do. My question is - the other birds are locked tight in their coop so do I leave the run door open for her in case she comes back? or will that put the other birds in too much danger by eliminating that second line of protection? I'm afraid for both scenario's - leave the door open, easy predator entry with the coop only to contend with, close the door and she has nowhere to go.

Thanks in advance for the advice.

Also, if she does come back tonight or in the morning how the hell do I get her back in the run? When she got out she walked around and around it (with the door OPEN) and would not go in.

Anyway - crossing my fingers for her tonight and will check back on what to do with the coop for the evening. I do have a trail cam on both coops, but honestly it sucks.

Hi Lisa, did your chicken ever return? Mine escaped today and is nowhere to be found tonight. We are in a new place with a new coop I thought there was no way she could escape but she did. I am worried sick, crying and just devastated to think of her all alone.

 

[BDutch]

She probably found a place outside to sleep.

I had chickens who found another place outside the coop to sleep many times. The ‘runaways’ always showed up the next morning for food and to join the flock again.

 

[KellysCreatures]

She probably found a place outside to sleep.

I had chickens who found another place outside the coop to sleep many times. The ‘runaways’ always showed up the next morning for food and to join the flock again.

Thank you! She came back!