Chicken whisperers: How can I find my Chicken?

[okiemommy]

I posted a thread a little while back about the neighbors dogs killing four of my chickens. We found one of the RIR, the cockeral dead, and we found a lot of buff feathers, but never found anything else. To my knowledge my neighbors never found anything but feathers either. (they were all over their yard) I have read on here that sometimes some chickens will get away in attacks like this and that they will come back the next morning. That is really what I was hoping, and the morning after it happened I thought I heard some clucking type chattering. It wasn't quite clucking yet b/c they were only about 8 or 9 weeks old when the dogs got to them. So I listened and never heard anything. I looked and looked and never found any of them, so I thought either that they were scared to death and hiding, or I was wishfully hearing things.


Well...Today I'm coming back from the store and pull up and get out of the car, and I hear it again!! I thought maybe I was hearing things again; you know how there is noise when you hear something, and you're not quite sure if what you heard is really what you heard? So I listened again in total silence. I heard it again!!! Is one of my babies still alive?? Are there other animals that can mimic a chicken noise? It sounded like chattery clucking. But when I called no one came. They were getting really good at coming when I called, but if they're scared to death, I can see why they wouldn't come out. It sounded kind of like it was under the house.

I asked my husband if he could go out there and check for me and he did, but I don't think he looked that thoroughly. We have a double wide that is on a pier system and there are many places that a 10-11 weeker could hide if they wanted. I can't go under there-I'll die of heart attack for all the spiders. I'm a tough girl, but that one is out of the question.


What do I do?? Is there something that I can do to try and draw him/her out?? The doppler effect is lost on me when it comes to my hearing, and I often think that things are coming from a different direction than they really are, so I could have even heard it coming from the trees close by our house but I know it was close!



Please Chicken whisperers help!!!!

 

[okiemommy]

wow seriously, no one??

 

[Buster]

You just may have to go under there and look for her. Look at the bright side- she's been under there eating up all those spiders!

Seriously- good luck to you. Maybe if you threw some treats out and called her she would come out. Does she have a water source? Put one out if not or watch around the one you already have.

Best of luck. Let us know how it goes.

 

[okiemommy]

You just may have to go under there and look for her. Look at the bright side- she's been under there eating up all those spiders!

ha ha yeah, true! I don't know how effective it would be for me to look for them...I will have to look closely to find her, and I'm sure that I will see spiders while I am looking closely, which will in turn freak me out, which will in turn make me panic, and I don't even think I can bring myself to get under there period, let alone get deep off in there to see around the piers. I'm not exaggerating. I am terrified of spiders. I don't particularly like small spaces either.

Thank you for responding, I really appreciate it. I did put some water out there, and hopefully she will come to it. I will try the treats.​

 

[Buster]

Quote:
ha ha yeah, true! I don't know how effective it would be for me to look for them...I will have to look closely to find her, and I'm sure that I will see spiders while I am looking closely, which will in turn freak me out, which will in turn make me panic, and I don't even think I can bring myself to get under there period, let alone get deep off in there to see around the piers. I'm not exaggerating. I am terrified of spiders. I don't particularly like small spaces either.

Thank you for responding, I really appreciate it. I did put some water out there, and hopefully she will come to it. I will try the treats.

Well if I were your neighbor I would come do it for you. Maybe there are some kids in the neighborhood you could convince to check it out. Does shining a light do any good?

 

[okiemommy]

Well if I were your neighbor I would come do it for you. Maybe there are some kids in the neighborhood you could convince to check it out. Does shining a light do any good?

yeah I know huh lol. Unfortunately he can't. He was badly injured in a car wreck a year ago, and walks with a cane. I might be able to ask them if their 10 year old would be willing to do it. DH did use a flashlight, but the problem is that the house is 2300 sq ft and there are a lot of cinder blocks and piers that are under the house to keep hold it up. So there are a lot of hiding places. He didn't go all the way in, or to the edges so she could easily be hiding behind something.​

 

[Pecky]

I am sorry if someone already answered this, but I just had 2 chickens attacked by a dog, and they both were hiding from me, and I could not get them. If you couldn't find the bird, then it is most likely hiding. Just keep looking! You may find your bird alive. =/

 

[okiemommy]

one person responded to my thread. I am not so loved as I had hoped

ETA: YAY!! thanks for responding!

 

[TeresaT]

I agree. I am new to chickens, but it would work for other animals too. Put a food or water dish that they recognize out somewhere they and you can see it that way you can watch for them to come out. Make food noise by rattling it in a dish and call out to them. I hope they come back to you. They probably won't come out at night though. So Sorry!

 

[TeresaT]

Oh I forgot something, also make similar noises as they make. Sometimes when I cluck at my chickens, they cluck back. It's really funny. The often imitate the same noise I make to them. Maybe then you can find them.