My hen disappears

[Skye727]

I have a 6 month old Easter egger named snicker doodle. I changed it to snickerbrat because she wouldn't stay in the run. Now she lays an egg in the house and leaves. We never see her except maybe once in the am. Where the heck does she go all day and night? She doesn't even come home at night!

 

[iwiw60]

How is this little sneaker getting out of the run? Have you located where/how she's doing this?

 

[centrarchid]

Something backwards here. I bet she is no longer producing eggs, rather she has a clutch outside the pen she is brooding. She comes off nest once daily to defecate, drink and eat which is when you see her. To save time she is coming back into pen to fill her crop before returning to nest. I have half a dozen hens currently doing similar and can follow them back to their nest sites once they are ready. Giving them feed and water speeds the process.

 

[theoldchick]

Yep, she's broody! If you have neighbors, check with them, and get permission to follow her on the property. The only time a hen will not seek the company/protection of a flock is when they are sitting on eggs. Otherwise, she might have joined another flock, if there are any nearby, but you would see her fellow adopted flock members following her to the food source.

 

[iwiw60]

Something backwards here. I bet she is no longer producing eggs, rather she has a clutch outside the pen she is brooding. She comes off nest once daily to defecate, drink and eat which is when you see her. To save time she is coming back into pen to fill her crop before returning to nest. I have half a dozen hens currently doing similar and can follow them back to their nest sites once they are ready. Giving them feed and water speeds the process.

Well....DUH on ME!!

That hadn't crossed my sleepy-trying-to-wake-up brain!! I'll bet that is exactly what that little hen is doing!

 

[Skye727]

Really? I thought it was her laying the little egg. She's a bantam and I get one little egg a day. I wonder of one of my big girls is laying a small egg? It's a brown one. It has never been another color.

 

[lazy gardener]

Let us all know when you find out where and how she is spending her time! Do you have a rooster?

 

[theoldchick]

Have you solved the mystery?

 

[Mccluckers]

Yes I wanna know I wanna know!! Haha

 

[Skye727]

She was laying little blue eggs in the thick ivy. She had a nest of 11 unfertilized eggs! Luckily I have some cochin eggs I was incubating so I put them and her in a dog kennel. She has been growling And snapping when I get near. Protective mama!