Missing a Hen

[LeezyBeezy]

Did a head count tongiht and one of my EEs is missing! I locked the other girls in, then walked the barn, around the barn, around the house, down by the field. NOTHING. Not a cluck, not a feather, no blood.

SIGH. I have no idea where she is, and I realize that she may have been snatched. It was very windy today, and the hens stayed in the barn all day until late in the afternoon. It was so sunny out, I think they just wanted out. I saw them outside, and even saw two making a mad dash to the barn, but.... didn't think anything of it. I thought the wind spooked them.

Keep your fingers crossed that maybe she's hiding... Unfortunately, it's supposed to get down to 14 tonight.

If she's still alive, she'll be a frozen chicken nugget. Ah, my poor girl!! We have had chickens almost a year, and this is a first for me.

 

[Azriel]

She might show up in the morning. I thought I had lost one of mine after a hawk attack, but found her the next day hiding way down under a sage bush. Make sure you check under anything she could get into or under.
Bonnie

 

[LeezyBeezy]

Nope, nothing this morning. Did the loop around the yard, barn, nada. I'm guessing a fox, although in broad daylight, so close to the house, it's hard to imagine. Esp. since they usually steer clear, due to the dog. Let's hope this is the first and last.

 

[fussaguss]

i think perhaps your lady wanted more excitement in her life. She ran away to join a traveling circus! After all who else is awesome enough to lay random color eggs? When we loose chickens i tell my kids that the girl heard we planned on having fried chicken for dinner so she ran away. Perhaps yours was afraid of what sunday dinner would be.
In reality i am very sorry she decided to get what we call *happy feet* and pray she shows up!

 

[centrarchid]

She may have gone broody on a clutch of eggs. If so, then she will not respond to calls or vocalize.

 

[LeezyBeezy]

I thought about that, except for the key incident of seeing the hens run for the barn.... she is known to hide eggs, but she almost always gives herself away with a little cluck. hehehe. I'm afraid she's gone.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

I agree that it doesn't sound good with the way the other hens responded. But one thing that has surprised me is how often chickens get trapped into small spaces from which they can't get out. Throughout the spring-fall hardly a week goes by when a byc'er reports finding a lost hen they thought was gone for good. Sometimes when a predator comes after them, they hide in places so small they go unseen. Hopefully, she's gone broody. Good luck!

 

[Kickin' Chickin']

They do squeeze into tiny spaces when hiding,it may sound silly but I would get down on all 4's and crawl around a bit in the barn just to check. I had one that got into a spot that she could not get out of (apparently she doesn't have reverse). Good luck.

 

[MareeZoCool]

Hop that MIA hen will show up after sleeping on a tree branch overnight!

I had one hen that loved to hide in trees!

 

[taprock]

Sorry for your loss, we had the same thing happen 3 weeks ago. We had lots of snow at the time and I kept thinking we would find her hidden somewhere when it melted but no. She was just gone. My thought was also a fox, we have seen one around.