Hens running away from home?

[Debbie292d]

Earlier this afternoon, I was outside and saw Charlotte, a 10-month-old silkie hen, walking quickly between our yard and the farmer's field, headed for the road. I yelled at my hubby to look at that, where's she going all by herself? A rooster spotted her and made a beeline to chase after her, grabbed her by the tail and she turned around and ran back to the rest of the chickens.

An hour ago, hubby came to tell me he just spotted one of our older hens across the road, by herself. He said he yelled at her and she knew she was in the wrong and came running back.

We have only silkies here and have done nothing different in 7 years.

Across the road is a farm. They have Brahma chickens, ducks, quail, geese, horses, donkeys, turkeys, etc., but nothing a chicken would want. The field was harvested weeks ago, and it's dead. The chickens have layer crumbles in their coop, fermented grain/feed up by the house, and free range all day. Nothing new.

We've never had this happen before. All of the remaining chickens were fine as usual staying in the yard, but these two for some unknown reason were running away from home. We don't have a run as they free-range, but we have a couple of pens I suppose I'll have to pen them up if this keeps up.

Is this some new phenomenon? Has anyone else had a chicken be unhappy and run away? This is two different ones in the same day so I'm baffled!

 

[sourland]

Do you have cockerels or multiple roosters that may be harassing them?

 

[Debbie292d]

Do you have cockerels or multiple roosters that may be harassing them?

There are two young ones, 10 mos. old, but they are actually acting normal, as in not overbreeding or doing it meanly and one doesn't even do anything at all but stays with the group. I thought of that too but they don't even mingle with the old hens. They have their own rooster and they keep to themselves, separate group. There's 7 old ones 3-6 yrs), and 7 newer ones (10 mos.)

 

[Debbie292d]

Do you have cockerels or multiple roosters that may be harassing them?

Could Poultry Cell water have anything to do with it? They haven't had that in months but today I put a bowl out for them and the little ones (2 mos old) as one of the little ones was sneezing. I saw Charlotte drinking quite a lot of it but not sure about the old hen.

 

[sourland]

Could Poultry Cell water have anything to do with it? They haven't had that in months but today I put a bowl out for them and the little ones (2 mos old) as one of the little ones was sneezing. I saw Charlotte drinking quite a lot of it but not sure about the old hen.

Doesn't seem like it should.

 

[Debbie292d]

Doesn't seem like it should.

I wouldn't think so either, but scratching my head for what's different. This is just odd. I just worry if they keep doing this, one's going to have a varment get it as our yard is safe, but out there, it's not.

I guess I'll just see if any of them do this tomorrow and pen them up especially if it's the same ones.

 

[Debbie292d]

Charlotte has done this every day since, and last night we couldn't find her. She showed up by the house this morning so I can only assume the dogs looked out for her as I thought we lost her for good. I've had it.

I put her in the temp pen (under construction) with the three 2-month-old ones. She leaves them alone I suppose because it's 3 to 1. They sort of do their own thing and ignore her so I although I had other options, I guess this'll work. Maybe for the day or a couple of days will teach her? There's room in the hutch for all four of them so she can stay there overnight with them.

 

[2ndTink]

Naughty Charlotte! I'm not sure what would all of a sudden have a chicken crossing the road. I know our chickens will always go to one area in the yard for months and one day it will change, no clue why. They haven't been going to our front yard the last year or two but before that they would try to sneak down to the gravel road and peck around. We'd always get after them because people drive so fast past our house.

 

[Debbie292d]

Naughty Charlotte! I'm not sure what would all of a sudden have a chicken crossing the road. I know our chickens will always go to one area in the yard for months and one day it will change, no clue why. They haven't been going to our front yard the last year or two but before that they would try to sneak down to the gravel road and peck around. We'd always get after them because people drive so fast past our house.

Our road is tar but only gets about a dozen cars per day so it's not the road I worry about as much as it is what's on the other side, a huge field and some woods, and a farm, so lots of varments could be out there. When it rains, they'll all be on the road eating worms.

She's naughty all right. I do not know what to do if this doesn't work.

 

[2ndTink]

Hmm, I'm not sure what to do to keep her home. I haven't been letting mine out much in the last two years as we have hawks so they only get to go outside if we are out with them. I don't like having them locked up as much as they are but I also can't stand to lose any to predation.

Other than a fence, I'm not sure what would deter little Charelotte.