Missing Buff Orpington...maybe broody?

[heyitsme74]

Hello, I am new to BYC. I wanted to ask for some opinions. I have a Buff Orpington hen, Black Australorp hen and a Buff Orp rooster...they are free range. They are about 14 months old. My son just bought me 2 RIR hens (only 5 weeks old). I have them seperated right now. My question is: my Buff hen went missing...no signs of a predator attack (not feathers, blood paw prints...nothing). She lays her eggs in the chicken coop everyday around noon and everyday I collect them. We have looked and looked for her. I am not sure what happened to her. If she was to go broody, is it possible to not see or hear her? Would she just lay on nothing somewhere hidden? I live just over the hill from an ice cream store and my chickens visit there daily. They love them and the rooster even made the paper once...LOL. We are all worried about her. I have put signs up about her being missing. Just yesterday, a lady told the staff at the ice cream store that she saw a small hen pop up out of the weeds...she was sure it wasn't the rooster. She said she saw all 3. I wasn't home at the time and did not get home til late, but the staff said they "looked" over the hillside, but couldn't see her. It is filled in with high grass and shrubery. Is it possible that she is hiding because she went broody? Is it possible that the new chicks started this behavior? I have to mention another weird thing. My Australorp has been trying to "stay" up at the icecream store instead of coming back to their coop at night and my rooster is letting her? They had to bring her home the last 2 nights since Chirpy (the Buff) has been missing. I just don't understand why she would not go to the coop. They ALL have stayed up there when it had gotten to dark to come home and I had to get them. But never one alone. Is it possible that maybe something happened to my Chirpy and Penguin (the Australorp) doesn't feel safe in the coop? So, so confused and hopeful that I will see my sweet little Chirpy again. Please let me know your thoughts.

 

[heyitsme74]

Oh, I also wanted to mention that Penguin (the australorp) and Featherstone my rooster seem to be looking for Chirpy. I do not hear anything and she has a big mouth too. Would she ignore them?

 

[annelions]

I've seen on this board where people say that chicks won't induce a hen to go broody. I'm not so sure about that, since my RIR started showing signs of being broody within a couple days of bringing home brand new chicks. She's taken an interest in them and I'm wondering if the chirping doesn't help stimulate broodiness in SOME chickens that are slightly predisposed to it.

What I do know is that if a chicken is broody, it's VERY quiet. She's not going to come when called. A predator might get her babies! But if you walk close to her, where she's hiding in the weeds/brush, she might make a squawk/growl to make you get away from her babies.

Penguin might just be very confused and lonely about the sudden disappearance, even if Chirpy's simply gone broody. It may be nothing to do with fear of the coop. Of course, it could...

Unless and until you find feathers, Chirpy or Chirpy and a new brood, it's going to be hard to say what's happened to Chirpy.

 

[heyitsme74]

Do chickens go broody even if she doesn't have eggs any where though? Would she just make a nest with nothing in it? That is my big question because she lays her eggs like clockwork around noon each day. My husband has seen her sprint to the coop to lay an egg. I collect them everyday from her. Now Penguin is a different story. She used to lay her eggs in the coop, now I have to go on a treasue hunt to find them. Lately, she has been going to the ice cream store to lay them. I just don't understand how she could just disappear without a trace and my other chickens are just out of sorts about it I think. The rooster definately is looking for her, I can tell. The hillside where a lady that she saw her pop out of the weeds is not very big, but it is thick with brush, thorn bushes, poison ivy and who know what else. It is way to way for me to actually get in there to walk around.

 

[renehewitt]

I bet she went broody. This winter it was below 0 and I had a hen missing for over a month and she came back.Dont ask me how she survived.I don't have a rooster so no babys but I think she may have been under one of the sheds on eggs.I also called and looked daily. My chickens always come when called.So she must have ignored my calls during that time.I only thought at the time was something had gotton her.Then one day I went to put my birds away and I always count them and there she was like she never left. So don't give up hope she may very well be back. Just wait.

 

[heyitsme74]

Well, I searched the hillside this morning. I'm sure I have poison ivy...LOL. I tried to get into the tightest places. No sign of her. I am crossing my fingers that I see her again and she is just brooding somewhere...although I thought that we searched fairly well for her. I miss my Chirpy. She is my favorite. She comes running so fast when she sees you that you would swear someone shot her out of a cannon.

 

[annelions]

Maybe she went broody over a couple rocks and a single egg. Maybe one of Penguin's eggs, if there are any of those "missing" from the count. Depending on the wildlife in your area, she could've gone broody over eggs that aren't even chicken eggs!

 

[renehewitt]

Any sign of your chicken yet?

 

[heyitsme74]

No, she never returned home. We think someone took her, she was very friendly. Thank you for asking. We still miss her everyday and wish one day whe will just show up miraculously.