My hen disappeared

[Ry77]

#13591 of 13591
33 minutes ago
Ry77
My 5& half month old golden sexlink has disappeared. I'm so upset but I've been told she may have gone broody. I'm a new chicken mama. I bought 5 sexlinks from a store in April because I over heard a customer saying he was going to get chicks for his snake!! I never knew I would be a chicken mama until that day.....so my point is I haven't experienced a broody hen yet. She literally just disappeared 2 days ago & im just beside myself. She loves me as much as I love her. There are no signs of predators or anything. My others act like nothing is wrong when I mention her name. They free range during the day I was even outside when she disappeared. I have searched and searched... Nothing! We have lots of land so I could be looking in all the wrong places. My question is will my others lead me to her if i let them out of the pen??? Please can anyone help give me advice? Thank u

 

[Outpost JWB]

Answering your question, No. They will not lead you to her.

Is is possible she has gone broody, but more likely she was taken off by a predator. No idea of your location, so I don't know what predators are in your area. Some predators leave no sign or little sign of attack (Hawks, owls).

Are there any local farms? I once had a chicken get lost. She was found a week later 2 streets over. Sure hope you find yours in good health.

 

[Ry77]

Okay

No local farmers. We live in louisiana in the country. I keep a close watch for predators but it's the country so you know. I was sure hoping y'all would say broody. Thank you for your help

 

[AustralorpsAU]

Okay

No local farmers. We live in louisiana in the country. I keep a close watch for predators but it's the country so you know. I was sure hoping y'all would say broody. Thank you for your help

Broody means that she wants to hatch chicks and in that case have you checked in the nesting boxes to see if she is hiding in there? Just a thought

 

[Ry77]

Yeah no sign of her. It's like she just vanished

 

[chickens really]

Sorry for the loss of your pullet...Sounds like a Fox to me..Very quick and crafty...Two summers ago a Fox came and snatched my hen only 50 feet from where I stood watering my garden..If I never seen it happen I would never have known where she went either...

This is the price we pay to let our birds out to enjoy life...I still let mine out supervised as usual...Even that can not keep them safe.

Cheers!

 

[FarmerTony]

Having raised chickens for about 4 years, I can say its very unusual for 6 month old to go broody. In my experience they usually don't go broody until their second year.

Sorry for your loss, but it was probably a predator. It happens, and is the reason I no longer name them unless they are particularly special. Roosters just get named rooster now. I do have one hen (Mama Hen) and her daughter $#@&bird . Both earned their names. Ill be sad when they eventually get eaten. About half of the chicks I have now are From this rooster, and half from the other Rooster that got eaten by something.