Help! Chicken disappeared and presumed sat on eggs somewhere

[Vlwood_10]

5 days ago one of my Icelandic chickens disappeared into thin air. It never came in in the evening with the others. We found her nowhere. After several days of searching we presumed she was dead. She showed up suddenly today fit as a fiddle. Disappeared a short time later. So my only guess is that she has a nest of eggs somewhere. And was only off it for a short time today for food and water. Have no idea where. Any tips on how I can find her and get her inside? She won't survive long outside overnight here with all the wildlife.

 

[Lobo123]

I'm assuming you have a large property so finding her would be very difficult. You could try, but they are very stealthy. You can't lure a devoted broody. My suggestion is to follow her to the nesting site or capture her next time you see her. When that will happen I'm not sure.

 

[Vlwood_10]

Thanks for your reply. Yes we have a large area the chickens roam freely during the day. We decided that as long as she's got a safe place then we will leave her to do her thing and see how it turns out. She popped back for food again today. Made sure she got lots and lots of fresh water. She had a dust bath. Then a very long preen. Then I followed her as best I could. Seems she's nesting in an area that's inaccessible by us as it's underneath a wooden walkway in our garden. So am not even able to see how many eggs she's sat on. So I guess I just have to wait roughly 2 more weeks and see what happens. Once the chicks hatch, am I best just leaving her or trying to catch them all and get them into a crate or something in the coop? (Wasn't expecting any more chicks. We just hatched out 5 with a homemade incubator. They are now 12 weeks old).

 

[aart]

Once the chicks hatch, am I best just leaving her or trying to catch them all and get them into a crate or something in the coop?

Hopefully she brings them back to the coop.

 

[Weeg]

You could use alive trap, or a dog. W had a mallard duck do this, but about 10 minuets after I walked the yard with my yellow lab and told him to find her, and he flushed her out under a dead tree. After I found her I made her a covered nest tin the coop with the eggs from her nest in the woods and I used the dead beaches from the tree to make her comfortable nest. Heres a pic on what her nest looks like! Good luck, if you want to use a live trap, you could just bait it with chickens feed but beware, you could trap some other animals in it too, personanlly the dog is the best bet! Good luck!

 

[Vlwood_10]

Ok. So she has been away on her hidden nest for 21 days now. Today will be day 22. So am expecting some action hopefully. She has been up every day eating and drinking etc, then goes and hides again. We know where she is but completely inaccessible. So I have made a pen for her and chicks in the coop and just waiting until they make an appearance. Does she get off the nest at all once they start hatching? Or does she wait until all hatched, or even wait there until a day or so old? I have never hatched with a broody before, let alone one sat on a hidden nest. I am just wondering when I should expect her to come up with chicks. I am also aware that maybe she doesn't get any

 

[Weeg]

she will sit on th ones with them until they are fluffy and dry, so like 10 hours if i remember correctly, or at leas thats how long it is for ducklings. Good luck, hope we get some babies! Avery

 

[aart]

Does she get off the nest at all once they start hatching? Or does she wait until all hatched, or even wait there until a day or so old?

Usually they sit pretty tight when she hears them pip internally.
She'll stay on the nest until all the eggs have hatched, which can take a couple-few days.
She'll bring them up to eat when they are ready....she may even hunker down in or near the coop/run.

The solid crate inside the wire crate might be a good place for them....
....bit confused by the pic, is the whole floor concrete and wet?

 

[Vlwood_10]

Well curiosity got the better of me today, when on what is day 22 , she popped out for some food. So we pulled up the wooden boards over where she has hidden her nest, and there she was sat on a total 26 eggs! She had kicked out 6 (no life in them), there was no life in 6 more, but definite life in 14 eggs. No pips yet. So we have left her where she is for now, on top of the 14 eggs. We hope to move her and eggs tonight when it starts getting dark, into the crate in the coop. Though I still think 14 is a bit much she's an Icelandic by the way
(In the previous photo the coop had just been hosed down so that's why it looks wet.)

 

[aart]

We hope to move her and eggs tonight when it starts getting dark, into the crate in the coop. Though I still think 14 is a bit much she's an Icelandic by the way

I would not try to move her at this point, good chance she won't settle back onto eggs. Do you have an incubator as back up?

(In the previous photo the coop had just been hosed down so that's why it looks wet.)

Ah, OK... just made it really hard to see what was what with all the reflections.