Mystery: Hen not coming in to roost

[eponagirl]

Hi, yesterday one of my hens stopped coming in to roost with the others. She is kind of an independent one, flies over the poultry fence during the day to free range on the property. She comes back in on her own and especially in the evening with the others (we let them all out to free range the property an hour before roosting time every day when we are home). I know because she is a wanderer that she is at higher risk for predators, but she is happiest that way and we cannot contain her without major restriction. Anyway, this has never been an issue until last night and now tonite. She disappears and we cannot find her anywhere. This morning she showed up after I let everyone into their fenced in area and was gone again tonite at roost time. (She usually roosts with a group of hens, so is not pushed away by the the others)

Has anyone heard of this?? Far fetched, but wonder if it's a weird response to the earthquake (we are in CT)? BIG MYSTERY: Where is my hen going at night now (and I am so glad she did come back!)

 

[yinzerchick]

I had a couple hens pull that on me. I found them roosting up in a tree. The first night, I found them in a peach tree and they were low enough for me to get them (2 of them) down and put them back in the coop on their roost. The next night they had managed to get up about 25 feet in a different tree that was in the run. (with help from a wire rack/table I had just put in there to wash feeders and waters on, and they took another hen with them, so there was 3 of 'em) Anyway...getting them down that night was not an option. The next night, I just made sure they were in the run before dusk, moved the table so they weren't able to get up in the tree, and then it stopped. I guess just try to make sure she's in before dark/roosting time for a few days and maybe it'll stop. Hope you can find out where she's roosting! Good luck!

 

[jnkir7]

she may be hiding a nest

 

[eponagirl]

Ok, mystery solved! It was correct that she is hiding a nest, under the coop! I looked there, but she was in the darkest part. Now to get to any eggs under there and keep others from going under there too! It's only big enough for them to go under, not us too!

Thanks for the suggestion, it helped understand what she was up to!