Locked a hen out of the coop and now she is gone

[Eldergoddess]

So Monday night I was rushing around trying to get everything done I didn't count my hens before I locked the coop. (I have 7 girls and my mom has 7 for a total of 14) And in the morning my mom finds a very wet and cold Rhode Island sitting on the front step of the coop and our silver laced wyandotte (one of my moms favs) gone. I let the girls out today in hope of getting our silver laced to come back, and I have spent about 3-4 hours today looking for her over our 5 acres and our neighbors 5 acres, I am hoping I don't have to go to our other neighbor and look thru their outbuildings, but I think I might have to if she isn't back by Wednesday morning.

Our hens are totally free range, we are still repairing the house and barn so the insurance company will stop throwing a fit so we have never gotten a run put up.

Needless to say my mom is upset, I am kicking myself and we are still short a hen.

I have looked... (with a bucket of corn and calling to her)
-In the barn
-Under the tool shed
-Under the coop
-Under the deck
-In the tool shed
-In the pumphouse
-In our neighbors barn
-In our neighbors coop
-Our back acres (in trees, under brush piles, etc)

Any ideas would be helpful.

PS: This sucks because she is one of our show birds. :\


**edited by Staff**

 

[Clay34]

We all get attached to our birds that's a fact. I hope that you find them. Keep us posted.

 

[Spangled]

Hmm. That's too bad. Did you leave the tool shed and pump house doors open in case she was hiding from you when you looked for her in there? It would be sad if she got shut in and couldn't get out to come back home.

Maybe she showed up and you just haven't had a chance to update us???

I have had some hen purposely go roost on their own in a tree at night. In fact, I have one hen right now that I have no idea where she roosts at night. It's frustrating. I know she's still around, though, because I see her most mornings scratching for whole grains near the door to the coop before I let the other girls out.

 

[Naser]

When you are looking for hens get a bowl or a bucket with grains in it. when the hens see you with something in your hands they are more likely to come towards you, and if they do; some grains on the ground will make it easier to catch them. not much help for you now but just in case you are still looking.

 

[Eldergoddess]

2 weeks and our Silver is still gone. I think she may have been eaten. Talked to the neighbors and they checked all their buildings for her and no one can find her. So either she became a snack or drown in one of the many bodies of water in the area.

The good news is we adopted a new pullet last week, she was found by some neighbors friends in the city and after looking for her family they called and asked if our neighbor could take her and give her a home but since her coop is full to bursting we got to take her instead. Elune, the Rhode Island Red pullet is such a sweetie, I feel bad for the family that lost her.

 

[growsaposy]

Meal worms work really good for getting wandering chickens to come, especially if you share some with other hens while looking.

 

[Eldergoddess]

My hens HATE meal worms, wont touch them. But its been two weeks. So I have wrote her off as dead, if she shows up I will call it a blessing from the gods and keep her close to home.