Come back, little red hen!

[savingdogs]

We have year-old hens, mostly buff orpingtons and rhode island reds. We had one that is really a character, we called her the little red hen because I think she had a little bantam in her and was a little smaller. But we usually could pick her right out because of her personality. She was actually a couple of weeks older than most of the flock and laid the first egg that my pullets laid. She was a real character about it and acted broody over the first egg, and the first eggs of the other chickens.

She settled into a normal pattern of laying but always was very protective of the eggs and would make unhappy sounds when she observed us taking eggs.We normally keep the chickens penned, but let them free range occasionally. The neighbors have dogs that sometimes wander on our property so we try to only do this when we are home and out and about.

In any event, one day I was cleaning the coop so I let the chickens free range and had the whole coop opened up. The little red hen was very upset about this. She wanted to sit on a nest and was squawking and making a fuss. So I tried to give her a space to nest in while I cleaned the other side and hurried on the second side. She continued to squawk. I think she was upset the other chickens were not there, she was calling to them. Even after finishing the cage cleaning, the little red hen squawked, all through the other chickens coming and going all day to lay their eggs in their nest.

Eventually the sound of her making noise blended in and I wasn't sure when it stopped. But that evening when we counted heads to close the coop, she was gone!

Since then our roo has been doing this strange calling crow to a certain area of our yard (where blackberry brambles are very very thick) where we cannot go. A chicken could probably slip into there too. The other chickens seem distressed about this and look over in the same direction whenever the roo starts "calling."

We think the little red hen is out there, but no amount of tromping through the blackberries has reached her. We would like to find her before one of the dogs does.

Is there any way to get her to return? I think she is sitting on eggs out there! We live in a heavily forested area with lots of wildlife so this is not a safe thing for her to be doing. She has not returned despite a severe downpour and it has been about a week and a half. We have a hemlock in there that is probably very good shelter from her perspective, just not very safe.
Any suggestions?

 

[adoptedbyachicken]

My guess, she was feeling broody and has found herself a place to nest. As she has no eggs there it's not going to work out well for her. You might catch her back at the coop once a day to get feed and water so be alert. Offer her a treat she can't resist and nab her.

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

If she is setting, it is totally up to her. Chickens once they begin the mother mode will sit and sit through rain, hail or snow. You can try beating the brush to get her to move, chances are she will not, but give a shot. also, maybe when she does come off the nest you will not be there. try using a save a heart trap with some corn or grain in it and hope for the best....

 

[tinychicky]

try letting the other chickens out and spread a little corn or other treat around so the roo starts making the "look, look! food! come get it!" sound. if your little red hen is hungry or missing company, she'll come out. also, leave a crate with some warm bedding in it outside at night. i hope you find her!

 

[savingdogs]

I haven't let the other ones back out since then, afraid that it was wishful thinking that she is in that brush and possibly a dog got her. To some extent, my chickens were a little new at free ranging as I can only do that over the weekends, etc., and they are only a year old, and it just turned spring here on our mountain.

My 13-year-old has been wanting to let just our roo out.

The place where we think she is, is very very dense old hedge of blackberries so you can't even get within 20 feet of the tree. It is also a steep slope so we can't get very close without risking injury. I was also worried she is stuck in there and Roo would get stuck in there with her.
Weird dilemma, I know.

 

[justtoni44]

Hi,
This year.....right at the end of really bad weather......one of our red sexlinks diappeared. I thought for sure a coyote had gotten her.......not a sign of distubance..................
About 4 or 5 weeks later, our neighbor called and said there was a little brown hen on her front porch
pecking at her bay window. This was like 10:15 at night. We went to check it out and sure enouhg.it was our little hen. She looked horrible, under weight.
We have no idea where she was during that time, it certainly was not setting time.
She is home, seems no wear and is gaining her weight back.
So, don't want to give you false hope.....but don't give up yet.

 

[savingdogs]

Well we had given up hope the first day except for how our Roo acts at times. It is like he is saying to her "Get back up here, b*$#+!" He is a terrible chauvanist!

 

[Sesame]

One of ours was missing for almost 3 weeks and we found her in the engine of our truck! I hope she comes back.

 

[Chip Gilleland]

I posted the same kind of distress call back in Febuary. My little Buffy was missing for over 2 weeks. The other chickens gave her spot away-she was under the front porch, behind lattice work and sitting on a mess of eggs. She is probably closer than you think. Good luck.