Lost Broody hen

[ShellyMMorrison]

I just brought home a pheonix hen from my buddies house. As i was setting her up she got spooked and ran off against my best efforts. She had been sitting for a week and ive already moved the eggs to an incubator but since this is her first time being here, will she come back? My other chickens are free range but i haven't seen or heard from her in about an hour, i just can't find her. I shooed some hen in to the area she was last spotted but I'm just scared I've lost her because she doesn't know where she's at. I've never had this problem usually i can get them penned but my two year old was trying to help and things went astray. Please help

 

[Eggcessive]

That is sad--I hope you can find her. I would put the other birds up in the coop if possible and place some feed and corn or scratch out with water for her if she comes around. If you have a fishing net, they can be handy to catch them, but I would get at least 2 adults to help. I move very slow, going around the chicken in a wide circle, not looking at them to sneak up. If you have a run, you could also place food in their in hopes she will look for food and water. A roost in there might also attract her. Another thought is to gather some fake or real eggs close to the coop, and maybe she will sit on them. After dark, you might find her with a flashlight. They will go to bushes or trees to roost at night. Let us know how it goes.

 

[ShellyMMorrison]

Great advice! She is trying to find her way to some eggs i placed in yard! She's still in the neighbors yard so i don't want to spook her again but I'm thinking if she finds a way to them to sit after she's there for a minute ill grab her. It's still about five hours to dark but I'm thinking she might sit before then!

 

[Eggcessive]

I hope you were able to catch her tonight. She may or may not set on the eggs you wanted her to--but at least I hope you caught her.

 

[000]

I have heard stories of hens that disappear for a month and come back with chicks. They can hold sperm in their body for several months until they are ready to lay. So she may show back up with a One of my chickens got away when I was moving them to a new coop from a temporary one. I tried setting traps and just straight up chasing it, but it always seemed to disappear as soon as I would get close to getting it. We live on a 3 acre farm with miles of local vineyards at the rear and barbed wire around all of the sides. The wire is wide enough for her to walk under and through. And it is short enough to easily fly over. I was sneaky and followed it one day and found that it was hiding in an old abandoned well house next door. It is probably 70 years old and is entirely rotten. There is a gap just her size in the planks on the side that she squeezed through. It obviously is not safe to go into so I sat a very elaborate luring trap and I caught her in that. My point is to not give up hope because they come around.

 

[ShellyMMorrison]

She hasn't came back but is hanging out with some of my more adventurous Sumatras. She is eating and drinking since i set out some food and water, my Sumatras were the same way and they started to roost in the pen at night after about a week of me chasing them so hopefully she will follow suit. Im just gonna give it time and hopefully she comes back before a predator gets her at night. She's very flighty and us chasing her is just making her stay away. Thank all of you for your advice!