Escaped or stolen?

[terence]

Hi all,

Yesterday, I returned home after a brief outing to find 3 of my chickens gone, and one outside the fence trying to get back in.

Nothing seemed amiss or out of place, but my RIR rooster (who was so quiet), my white Silkie bantam rooster, and one of my Wyandotte hens had simply vanished. One Ameraucana was the one trying to get back in.

While I obviously hope that they weren't stolen, it's not impossible certainly.

My question really comes down to this: Do chickens sometimes literally fly the coop? I suppose if they really wanted out, they probably could have hopped from one coop to another, then over the fence (~ 4' tall).

If they left of their own free will, where the heck would they go? Sure, there are plenty of other chickens around here (North Shore, Oahu) to hang out with, but they don't exactly have survival skills.

Are they coming back, or should I just be sad for a bit and then move on? *sigh*

Thanks,

Terence

 

[Mrs. Glassman]

I had a hen go missing for a day & a half. She had 7 young chicks at the time. When I saw them by themselves, I was sure a predator had taken her.

She appeared out of no where the next day, back with her chicks......she was missing every single tail feather...but she was back.

It's still a mystery where she was, but that put a quick end to my attempt to let any of them free range.