Chicken missing for 5 days

[Stehiiboo]

Tuesday I came home around 2pm to find no chickens. They normally come running thinking I'm going to give them a treat. Well I saw a silkie in the lean to wedged up under a large pile of twigs. Then I found our australorp wedged in there too. I couldn't find any other chickens anywhere. I searched for 20 mins all over our property in the rain. Well when I came back from searching another one appeared. Then I found my brave girl that loves attention. She was cowering in a corner under some tomato cages and netting and wouldn't come out. Something seriously spooked them. Come to find out our neighborsdog about 400 ft from our house broke his chain. I'm guessing they were running from him.

So I over the course of a few hours random hens would appear and I'd lock them in the coop. I got all but one hen locked up. So I set out a trap for her for a few days and she never showed up. I figured her dead and the dog never returned. I got on our roof and looked with binoculars to see if I could see her corpse somewhere.

After 5 days she suddenly appears outside the coop. Looking like nothing ever happened??? Is this a normal thing? Where the heck has she been?

 

[sunflour]

That's an amazing story. I've read accounts of some missing for days, but 5 days is quite a long stretch to be away from food, water and shelter.

Bet she was just to afraid to come out of her hiding place. Or had a hard time finding her way back home.


So glad they are back home and no one was injured.

 

[Stehiiboo]

That's an amazing story.   I've read accounts of some missing for days, but 5 days is quite a long stretch to be away from food, water and shelter. 

Bet she was just to afraid to come out of her hiding place.  Or had a hard time finding her way back home.


So glad they are back home and no one was injured.

It's rained almost constantly since she's been gone so I guess she has been drinking from puddles? There is plenty to forage out here. Tall grass lots of bugs. I thought by day two she was definitely dead. My husband went out Sunday morning to let them out and she was outside the coop clucking around. He came in and woke me and I couldn't hardly believe it. I ran outside in my pj's lol. She's one lucky bird we have all sorts of critters out here that would love to have her for dinner.

 

[Happy Chooks]

You are very lucky. It's nice to hear a happy ending. Most don't end this well.

 

[sunflour]

You are very lucky. It's nice to hear a happy ending. Most don't end this well.

X2 . So glad she found her way home.