Chicken has moved into the woods, still stops by for lunch

[mikecasciano]

Hi new chicken owner here. We inherited 11 chickens with our home we purchased.

Recently I had a chicken disappear. I had assumed it got taken by a predator. It turns out it's not the case. It's alive and I see it every few days when I stop out at lunch and refresh the chickens water and feed them. It no longer sleeps in the chicken house.

It was a very afraid chicken when it was around normally. If you were around it, it was the only one that you could normally pick up without much struggle.

Now it has turned into a bit of a crazy chicken. It's very skiddish. It won't let me get near it, and it generally looks crazy and not super healthy.

What should I do? Capture it and cage it for a bit?

 

[BlueBaby]

It might have a hidden nest somewhere. Don't be surprised if it show's up for lunch with some chick's one day.

 

[Mutchi]

just keep feeding it. and if it gets too unhealthy looking then i would help it out, i wouldnt stress it by capturing it...

 

[mikecasciano]

It might have a hidden nest somewhere. Don't be surprised if it show's up for lunch with some chick's one day.

So we don't have a rooster, but there are many other chicken raisers within a few miles... but that would certainly be interesting!

 

[BlueBaby]

So we don't have a rooster, but there are many other chicken raisers within a few miles... but that would certainly be interesting!

A hen will even try to hatch unfertile egg's.

 

[mikecasciano]

A hen will even try to hatch unfertile egg's.

I have one broody hen already.. maybe there wasn't enough space in the egg laying box (even thought there is)?

 

[Chicken Unboxing]

If you could find where she sleeps you could get her without much stress. A chicken in the open is a sitting duck... sitting chicken. Try giving treats for bait for maybe a trap. I'm not too familiar with this topic as I've never had a runaway chicken... not yet

 

[JedJackson]

The behavior is characteristic of a broody. Does she make cluck cluck noises or purr all the time? Are her feathers fluffed out? If any of these is the case, then I'd bet she is broody. And since there are no roosters around, she is wasting her time.

I would try to find her nest and catch her. Wear heavy gloves and keep her away from your face when you do catch her. Then keep her in a cage with a wire bottom for a few days to break her. If she goes back to the nest, try again.

If she is not broody, I would try to scope her out and find where she is roosting. That will be the easiest way to catch her. And then I would keep her in a separate pen or cage in the coop or shady place in the run for a while until she returns to normal. Chickens are way too vulnerable to predators to be left to their own devices for very long.

 

[mikecasciano]

The behavior is characteristic of a broody. Does she make cluck cluck noises or purr all the time? Are her feathers fluffed out? If any of these is the case, then I'd bet she is broody. And since there are no roosters around, she is wasting her time.

I would try to find her nest and catch her. Wear heavy gloves and keep her away from your face when you do catch her. Then keep her in a cage with a wire bottom for a few days to break her. If she goes back to the nest, try again.

If she is not broody, I would try to scope her out and find where she is roosting. That will be the easiest way to catch her. And then I would keep her in a separate pen or cage in the coop or shady place in the run for a while until she returns to normal. Chickens are way too vulnerable to predators to be left to their own devices for very long.

Yes -- her feathers a very fluffy.. and she makes some weird noises... i think that's what I need to do... catch her and break her out of the habit... i'm surrounded by woods, so any tips in tracking chickens?

 

[JedJackson]

Yes -- her feathers a very fluffy.. and she makes some weird noises... i think that's what I need to do... catch her and break her out of the habit... i'm surrounded by woods, so any tips in tracking chickens?

She'll be difficult to spot with that kind of coloring. The easiest way is to follow her next time she comes out to eat. Or if you have an idea of the area where she goes from previous experience, look in that area-- she will likely be under or near cover of bushes or grass tussocks, or in the crook of a tree's roots. Probably not right out in the open.