Just found eggs???

[Farming Feathers]

I'm not positive, but I don't agree. She will find a dark cozy spot, true? Why do you think she will lay near where she sleeps?

And if there are snakes, they could be helping themselves to an egg dinner. You may be searching for naught.

 

[Farming Feathers]

I don't have a reason to think she will nest where she sleeps...just thinking the bird may follow an association to a given area...My thinking...they have a favorite feeding location (will change since feed is consumed or bugs move around...they like bugs) the roost seems to be fixed unless problems change location. She really likes her high roost judging from her clucking a whole bunch when she arrived at the location. I'm starting to pay attention to where she is and have yet to see when she becomes active in the morning...missed her timing this morning...she was already out of her roost at 7:40 AM so tomorrow is another day. I feel the hen will follow some routine (time up and get out of the trees...pending light and weather conditions...it is now turning very cool in the morning) And I learn from my errors...like this morning found she already was up and feeding...so must go out near first light...that's going to be really cold for me...shiver just thinking about that :-(

 

[Ridgerunner]

Finding a nest is going to be really difficult. They are really good at hiding nests from predators. Not all hens sing the egg song after laying an egg, many of mine don't. Some that do leave the area of the nest before they start. One of my chores growing up on the farm was to gather eggs. I was usually able to find hidden nests in the hay loft but those scattered around other places usually were not found.

If you want to tame that hen my suggestion is to trap her. I'd probably put a live trap, baited with corn or something similar, under the tree where she is roosting. Be prepared to find a raccoon, large rat, or maybe something else in that trap if you leave it out overnight.

A lot of times you can catch a wild chicken by grabbing them where they are roosting, but I would not recommend it in your situation. Climbing a tree that high in the dark would be a risky thing, plus if there is any light at all she might just move a little on you.

Good luck!

 

[Farming Feathers]

I'm working on it and prefer gentle persuasion methods have already tried with success an introduction to my chosen location for a coop...have a large storage shed in sheltered area...left the door open and both chickens my wife saw in the shed...but the Americana immediately ran out when she saw my wife and that caused Fancy to also leave...but I have to put a screening and door in the shed will add a drop down slide door I can tie open and bait with corn...when they go into the coop can close the slide door unseen by the ladies and that should work. This coop will take a little time to build, but now have ideas to make it all come together...thank you all for the suggestions.

 

[MINDANAO DAVE]

Chickens will not nest in the tree. As many have stated she will nest on the ground and usually a place where she feels safe and hidden. Check in high grass or next to a tree. They will usually nest away from people the one's that free range. If you can get close enough use along fishing net to catch her.

 

[venymae]

I'm working on it and prefer gentle persuasion methods have already tried with success an introduction to my chosen location for a coop...have a large storage shed in sheltered area...left the door open and both chickens my wife saw in the shed...but the Americana immediately ran out when she saw my wife and that caused Fancy to also leave...but I have to put a screening and door in the shed will add a drop down slide door I can tie open and bait with corn...when they go into the coop can close the slide door unseen by the ladies and that should work. This coop will take a little time to build, but now have ideas to make it all come together...thank you all for the suggestions.

While a gentle method is fine, the longer your wild little chooks are out in the open, the higher the chance is that something will kill them. Even my lovely little chickens who eat out of my hand, but didn't allow me to pick them up sometimes had to be manhandled a little (Two people would chase them into a corner and then nab them!). I always found unsalted peanuts as the fastest way to forgiveness, and they would be eating out of my hands again mere minutes later! And a live trap cage is quite gentle. Essentially just a tiny coop that she closes the door herself! Haha. If you don't have one I'm sure you could ask around to borrow one.

 

[Farming Feathers]

I always found unsalted peanuts as the fastest way to forgiveness, and they would be eating out of my hands again mere minutes later!

I will get some peanuts unsalted sounds good to me...When it gets time to try and collect them up I will make sure to have plenty of peanuts on hand since it will require a lot of forgiveness. Have bought one watering container and feel I should put a few watering cans around where they hang out. Food wise they seem to be just fine on what they collect themself, but water on this lot is limited so think I need to put cans out. I bought a bag of pine chips for the future coop area where ever that will be. I'm only able to spend about $40 a month on supplies and that only once a month as I have no resources to select from. So a coop is hard to develop and hope it will happen before winter is officially here...I can feel the change in season already so think the fall is about over though it is not yet Halloween.

 

[RUNuts]

If nothing else, use feed bags for wall insulation & weatherproofing on a pallet coop. QED
your neighbors will be impressed with your resourcefulness!

Branches for a roost.

 

[Farming Feathers]

If nothing else, use feed bags for wall insulation & weatherproofing on a pallet coop.

Forgive me for not being savvy about building a chicken coop especially using pallets...I need to get behind stores and see if I can find some pallets...could use the wood for sure. Is there anything on this site or other sites that explain chicken coops on pallet designs???? Thank you for the suggestion RUNuts.

 

[Daddy rooster]

Thank you for the information and at a time past I posted she (Fancy) is up at strange hours searching for food at 2:30 AM have not been up at that hour lately, but this morning there is a new egg (one) and that found at 7:30 AM...guess I will have to start checking her hours and see if the other hen is feeding at those strange hours??? Perhaps I need to see other forum is they lay eggs during the night? She Fancy is still recovering from her molt (that was noticed when I moved in, and her feathers are really nice looking but still her tail feathers have not fully come in yet. Her eggs are nearly a medium size brown, and I think she is a Bantam, but egg size makes me think she is not Bantam. Thanks again she is new experience for me so I tend to ramble on a bit...sorry for that.

That is strange.for the most part they can't see in the dark.all of my girls lay an take off as soon as they're done.i steal em an put em in the incubator but haven't had any hatch yet.new at it so probably doing something wrong