I have 10 hens that free range. When it starts to get dark in the evening, they all come back to the coop and I shut them in for the night. Last sunday my little golden campine, Charlotte, didn't come home. I looked and looked, but couldn't find her. No sign of her the next day, so I figured she was a goner.
Yesterday (6 DAYS LATER!) she showed up in the yard again! So I promptly let her in the coop and checked her over. She looks fine, and is eating like a pig. However, her voice sounds different- she has that "broody cluck" which makes me think she's made a nest in the woods somewhere and has been sitting on it for the past week. (She had been laying eggs in my daylilies before she ran off, but I found them and she stopped laying there) I think she came back because she was hungry.
So now I'm worried that if I let her back out, she'll just run off again for another week (and this time get eaten by something- I'm amazed she lasted a week out there already!) My plan now, is to keep her inside until I'm sure she isn't broody... then let her out again and keep a close eye on her- see where she goes.
What do you all think? Anything like this ever happen to any of you? Any advice would be much appreciated.
Yesterday (6 DAYS LATER!) she showed up in the yard again! So I promptly let her in the coop and checked her over. She looks fine, and is eating like a pig. However, her voice sounds different- she has that "broody cluck" which makes me think she's made a nest in the woods somewhere and has been sitting on it for the past week. (She had been laying eggs in my daylilies before she ran off, but I found them and she stopped laying there) I think she came back because she was hungry.
So now I'm worried that if I let her back out, she'll just run off again for another week (and this time get eaten by something- I'm amazed she lasted a week out there already!) My plan now, is to keep her inside until I'm sure she isn't broody... then let her out again and keep a close eye on her- see where she goes.
What do you all think? Anything like this ever happen to any of you? Any advice would be much appreciated.
