I'm supposed to have 12 chicks, tonight I counted 11...

[MontanaDolphin]

I let my chicks free range for an hour before dark every night. My flock consists of 6 15 week Barred Rocks and 6 11 week Commercial Blacks (Barred Rock crosses). I always do a head count when I shut the coop up at night. I counted 11. So I counted again and again and again, hoping I just missed one or miscounted. Nope. 11. I looked at each one individually and figured out I was missing one of my younger pullets (I have 4 cockerels from the older chicks, everyone else is a pullet). My daughter and her friend, both my sons, and myself, searched everywhere for her or signs of struggle. There was NOTHING. No blood, no feathers. Nothing.

I figured if something got her, wouldn't there be a sign somewhere, wouldn't there? But there was nothing. By the time my kids got tired of searching, it was pitch black outside. I grabbed my flashlight and I went looking again. I called and called her (using the call I make to let them know I have something yummy) and heard nothing. Not a sound. I searched the yard, the woods, the road. Then I searched the yard and woods again.

I don't know what made me look up. Maybe thinking about the hawk or owl that probably got her...I'm not sure. But I DID look up, shining my flashlight in the trees. Guess what I found?








So....next time you are missing a chick and you free range, check the trees. Apparently some chicks like to fly up onto really high branches to roost for the night.

 

[bugglesmommy]

Well that little hussy! LOL.

 

[MontanaDolphin]

Well that little hussy! LOL.

Hussy isn't exactly the name that came out of my mouth when I found her...but it will do LOL!

 

[Chick Charm]

When I was a kid we had a flock bantams that disliked their coop very much. Sometimes we would see them 20 ft or higher in the trees. Kinda awesome really. Doin what comes naturally to avoid being eaten I guess.

Oh, by the way that photo reminded me of a poem. Don't stand under a roostin chicken.

Birdie Birdie in the sky
Did a doo doo in my eye
Boy I'm glad that cows can't fly

 

[SobbaChickens]

That is hilarious! I'm glad you found your missing chick!

Birdie Birdie in the sky
Did a doo doo in my eye
Boy I'm glad that cows can't fly

 

[MontanaDolphin]

Birdie Birdie in the sky
Did a doo doo in my eye
Boy I'm glad that cows can't fly

 

[evilcitty]

Yeeep! They do that. I had a near fit when I couldn't one of mine!
You may find that more take to doing that now, they teach eachother to be naughty it seems! I had to climb the tree and pull each one down for a week until they got the message. You could cut the lower branches off to stop them getting up there but I like that they have a means of escaping a predator.

 

[MercyMe03]

Well that little hussy! LOL.

This actually made me Laugh Out Loud!!

 

[ozarkmomma]

My daughters chickens free range and they all sleep in one tree at night. She calls it the chicken tree