Need Advice About My Hen, Please

tgperg

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Hi there. I posted this in the wrong area, I guess. It was suggested I ask here.

I have an 11 month old Dominique hen that is puzzling me. About a week and a half ago she started disappearing. I would see her for only about ten - fifteen minutes a say, first thing in the morning with the other chickens at snack time and that was it. She wasn't dust bathing with them in the afternoon, or foraging with them around, and she didn't come into the coop at night. I assumed she was broody and had made a nest somewhere else. I caught her Sunday morning during snack time (actually caught the whole darn flock, chickens, ducks and guineas) and shut the lot of 'em up in the coop. I kept them in the coop for 72 hours and then let them out this morning. I watched her really closely to make sure she was staying with them. She stayed right by the other chickens (two dominique hens, a RIR hen, and a Dominique rooster - all the same age) for over an hour. But when I went back to shut them up for the night she was nowhere to be found.

My question is: do you all think she's broody, or she's just found another roost somewhere? I went out and banded all my girls tonight except her so that I could tell them apart next time I catch them. I was thinking about cooping her up in a broody box with a nest and fake eggs for a few days then giving her some eggs to hatch when / if she takes to it. Otherwise, I could keep her in there till she forgets about the other nest, if that is what's going on. Any ideas? I'm stumped on this one. Oh, recent history, a couple weeks before she started staying out all the time our guineas went nuts and were chasing and biting her. They bit her comb pretty badly. We now only have a pair of guineas. The excess males went off to freezer camp. Then the weekend before she took off we got four muscovy ducks. They pretty much keep to themselves. I haven't seen them bothering any of the other birds. Don't know if these things are relevant or not.

Traci
 
I'd say she's broody. I would either follow her to her nest. And put the bedding and eggs you find in the nest box and pen her up.
 
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I tried following her, but she loses me in the underbrush. We have five acres. My husband and I spent all morning Sunday looking for that nest. Do you think she'll take to another nest after a time? Unless I get a vision from on high, I have NO clue where that chicken is hiding.

Traci
 
Hmm. I've thought of a contingency plan. Tie a string to her foot. Be sure it's loose amd let her run. Then, follow it. Lol. I'm kidding. I have no earthly idea if that would work. You might be able to make her sit on another nest. They are easily confused, but the walk she will remember. So I don't know.
 
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LOL! That's just crazy enough it might work. A long, long thread.

Traci
 
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LOL! That's just crazy enough it might work. A long, long thread.

Traci

I'm pretty crazy! I just thought about the ways my grandparents used to find mice. You can't put flour on 5 acres, so the string was the next best thing. Lol
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Aloha,

You are very detailed in your post, and I do believe that she is on the path or getting to the point of broodiness. But if she does have a nest out there, the eggs could already be fertile cause you have a rooster running with the flock. You could just let her be and then when the time comes you can see what she brings home.
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Also there are other signs of a broody hen. If she clucks, is fluffed out (puffball), and makes big stinky poos, then that is a good indicator of broodiness. (When you see her...) I am glad that you found the possible location where she might have this nest, and I hope you still try to search for it. Cause if you do find it, you can candle the eggs when she is off the nest to see the gestation of the egg development. So you can prepare a home for the little family and coop them up with mom later when they hatch.

I wish you luck and hopefully you will have what you are looking with this mama hen. Oh and
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from Maui!
 
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I would be content to leave her be, but the coyotes, bobcat, owls, hawks and oppossums won't.
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I'm pretty amazed she hasn't been picked off yet. Every bird we've had wander off in the past has never come back.

Traci
 
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I would be content to leave her be, but the coyotes, bobcat, owls, hawks and oppossums won't.
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I'm pretty amazed she hasn't been picked off yet. Every bird we've had wander off in the past has never come back.

Traci

Mine too. Only takes a day or two around here.
 

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