Chicken found in the snow, what happened ?

[dragonlair]

I moved mine layers from their outside coop into the barn. I evicted them from the old coop and was going to catch them and carry them into the new area. I figured I would have to chase and catch them with the large fish net, but, as soon as they set foot on the snow, they froze up (no pun intended) and just stood there like a statue. I walked up to each hen, picked her up and carried her to their new area! The did have a coop with a fenced in yard. Once it snowed, they refused to come out of the coop, not even for food would they walk on the snow!

I accidentally left one of my hens locked out of the hen house one cold night. I had let them out to free range during the day, but got ordered to stay later atw ork. It was dark when I got home, so when I did head count, I thought I had them all. Imagine my surprise the next morning when I was greeted by a lone hen, demanding her breakfast! Not sure where she roosted for the night, but I think it was beneath the coop.

 

[chickenannie]

Over the years I've realized the only times the chicken don't return to the coop is if something bad has happened, or if they go broody somewhere. Like a predator came in the coop or chased them around; it snowed and they were afraid to cross the snow; or they are little and the others are harassing them in the coop.

In other words, that chicken could easily have died. They are sooo weird about walking on snow -- she probably freaked out and didn't know what to do. I don't think it was a survival strategy, it was probably just disorientation and desperation and not knowing where to go. When it snows, you might just want to count them and doublecheck that they've all made it back in. I have heard of people on here losing chickens from freezing outside the coop. In fact somewhere there's a story of a woman who found her frozen chicken and actually brought it back to life -- I think it's on BYC somewhere!

 

[rancher hicks]

nope that was the "history of the chicken" pbs. Anyhow snow is a good insulator and we ain't got much here in SYR, NY. It's been cold and I've let mine into the run which is covered with plastic and tarps, except for the south side which is almost completely covered.
Anyhow again a chickens body temp is 105, I think so with the snow and that temp it maybe was pretty warm. I usually do a role call at night to make sure they's all accounted for.

 

[phrank]

I have noticed that one of the chickens has been alienating itself from the flock when out of the coop over the past week or two ( before the storm). Im not sure if it was the same chicken that i found in the snow , but it could have been. Do chickens that are old or sick alienate themselves or are they alienated by the rest of the flock ??

 

[WilczenskiFarm]

I do a role call as well... but I imagine anyone with more than 20 or so may not

 

[Soccer Mom]

I have over thirty and it gets confusing at night, but I have a pretty good idea who my "stragglers" are and try to make sure everyone is in the coop. I still missed one last night. I thought I had everyone and was heading for the house when a chicken suddenly popped out from under the feed shed.

 

[fiberart57]

I think that whoever said they get confused is right in some regards because during one of our last snowstorms I found all mine cowering in the basement well, nervously talking. I literally had to carry them back into their coop and covered run less than 10 feed away. It was really blowing and snowy and I think they got disoriented.

Mary

 

[rancher hicks]

Quote:
Well now, maybe it's the other way around. Maybe the others are alienating her. Does she seem to hang around the rooster more than the others. I have one who seems to roost to near the "red" light I use for heat. She also coos alot when she's there. I call her Scarlet.

Seriously though she could be sickly. I had one who just sat there while the others ran around. Does she seem lathargic? Is her comb pale? Did you recently try to break her of brooding? How old is she?

 

[arherp]

Maybe the chicken "alienating" has a nest somewhere?

 

[wasatusay]

Glad you found her. I agree I count and re-count every evening. One night I counted about 4 times when I kept coming up short one I was on the search. Sootie my Jersey Giant decided she was going to brood in the middle a thicket of some sort of flowering/spreading beautiful plant that grows in my back yard. I searched for hours looking for her before I found her. I also agree with others that she probably got confused with all the snow fall and squatted down. I have 27 to count every night and two light brahmas and two bantams that want to stay out to the last minute. Now if I could only find some silver seabright bantam hens I would gladly add them to my evening count! (hint)