Today when I woke up (I work nights) my husband asked me if I had a chicken loose because he thought he saw one while he was outside. I was certain that I didn't since it has been more than two weeks since I've let them free-range but when I went out to check on them and collect my egg (it is winter after all) I heard the loneliest sound that I've ever heard from a chicken. I couldn't see the chicken but I heard her just off to the right of the run. Figuring that the best way to get her back in the run in the limited amount of time I had before leaving for work, I opened up the run to let the others out since usually they all follow one another back in once it gets dark which would be an hour after I left for work. Once all of my chickens were out, I finally caught sight of the hen who was still making that long, lonely sound and she was indeed not one of my chickens. She looks to be a Rhode Island cross but not quite like a Red Star. I'll have to see if she is still around tomorrow and put her in a spare coop, the poor thing, until I know she is healthy. No one else around my home for more than twenty acres have chickens however years ago I had a third of my original flock break off since I had three roosters who each had their own harem. I'm thinking that she may be a descendant of those chickens. Still, it was strange to have a hen show up out of nowhere.
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