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

[Lizzy733]

Training a treat call is always #1 on my list anytime I have an animal that could be 'exposed' to the great outdoors. I find the best treats for chickens are mealworms or crickets. Dried mealworms are easy to store in a tin and you get that satisfying 'rattle' sound when you shake it. They will quickly associate the noise with morsels and come running.

 

[Stepnout]

I use an Eglu cube and I built another 8 x 10 portable pen. I move my set up every couple of days. Last year when placing my setup for the long term winter location my little EE got confused and didn’t make her way to the new location. Apparently I moved the set up too far. It was a terrible cold and rainy evening. I had my wife leave the lights on around the house. When I got home she made her way to roost on my porch hand rail. She was drenched through to her skin. I put her in a plastic dog crate with food and water inside my heated garage. I covered her to protect her from any draft. After a few hours when she was dried off I set her in with her sisters.
Hope she makes it back.

 

[Compost King]

When this happened to me I put a high powered flashlight on the coop door and came back out in an hour the hen was waiting to be let back in.

 

[Skippersnh]

She won't come back after dark because chickens can't see in the dark they stay put once the sun goes down

 

[Eggcessive]

Once it gets dusk, they look for a place to roost, and will not walk around in the dark. I have found a missing hen roosting in bushes, but it is difficult to find them in the dark. The best you can hope for is to find her out at daylight looking for her flock. Be out there at first light. Do not leave your run door open tonight, or you may have a predator. Once it is dark, she won’t try to come back. It is awful waiting until morning, but unless you can find her roosting spot in the dark, you will have to wait. Good luck on her returning in the morning.

 

[LisaMarie81]

Thanks all. I let the girls out of the coop this morning into their runs. Now I guess I just wait and see if she returns. I really don't have a "call" for them as they've only gotten out once and all came home. I have to go to work but plan on driving home for lunch just to see if she made it back. So far no sign of her.

 

[LisaMarie81]

Just looked outside and chicken is back! Just put her back in the run. Safe and sound!

 

[glassdragonfly]

So glad!!!

 

[trumpeting_angel]

Hurray!

 

[Eggcessive]

Good for you!