Lost Rhode Island Red

[michael757]

My chicken has disappeared last night without a trace. She is the one on the bottem. We have search every where we can think of including neighbors' houses. We have 6 hens in total. We think she disappeared around 4pm-7pm CT. Its been hours since anything. Can someone give me some tips on how to find her?
UPDATE: she still has not returned, but i think something got to her, her sister is acting a lil strange an so are the rest of them. They all came in a couple hours earlier than usual.

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC, and I'm sorry about your lost chicken. How long have you had her? I have had a few not turn up at dusk in the past, but they usually were just outside of the run in the morning looking for food, and trying to get with the other chickens. I found 1 or 2 roosting in some shrubbery or low trees when I have looked before dark after realizing they were missing. If you normally take something out to your chickens as a treat, I would do that and call loudly in case she can hear you. Mine come running from everywhere if they see my red coffee can with scratch or treats in it. If she was a new flock member, she could have wandered off. Unfortunately I have also lost a couple to predators such as raccoons, feral cats, or hawks, and foxes can be very common as well. Sometimes I found feathers or part of a body, and sometimes not. I hope that you find her, and let us know.

 

[michael757]

I fear the worst wil have happened if she doesnt come home by dusk. We have raccoons and various other predators. I have a ditch that surrounds half of my yard. So i think she just wondered off or something got to her. We got them inside after dark, i was working and my mom wasnt home at the time. I just hope she comes home.

 

[Eggcessive]

I really hope she does too. Do your chickens usually go inside the coop to roost at dusk or earlier? Most chickens are easily trained to go in ny then if they have been kept inside for 24/7 at least a week. I occasionally will have a straggler in warmer weather, but most are inside looking for the prime roosting spots.

 

[michael757]

Yes, they do come in their coop at night, but when my mom did headcount we were one short. Also our coop is inside so we have to open the back door to let them in, we have a pet door but they dont know how to use it execpt for the one that went missing, she has also jumped the fence and come to the front door. I think she did that and wondered off.

 

[michael757]

I am starting to fear the worst about this.

 

[Eggcessive]

Many of us have gone through this, but I really hope that you can find her. It's hard not to find even a trace.

 

[michael757]

Thanks, and this morning i woke up early but it was raining hard so if there was something it was gone. Last night was also very dense fog so i had trouble trying to find her.

 

[Eggcessive]

Well, please let us know if she turns up, and good luck.

 

[michael757]

Thank you, and i'll be sure to post if she turns up. I have read some articles of chickens turning up after a couple of days to a week.