New Chicken ran away - in danger

[NinjaChicken]

I picked up an adult chicken today to keep my rooster company until the new chicks come in. The poor new girl was so freaked out that she leaped out of her box, over my shoulder, and was gone before I could blink. The rooster could not believe his luck and circled her several times as she tried to run away. I could not get close and she took off down a trail on 40 acres. I followed her but lost her. I have spent past two hours searching for her but no sign. Any ideas on how I can get her back? Since she does not know that this is her home, will she come back on her own? Any suggestions on how to get this girl back would be greatly appreciated. This is coyote country and her time is short.

Thanks so much!

 

[LarryPQ]

stand outside and act like an egg?

Perhaps leave some food at key places on your property: places where she might pass by & have a place to roost?

 

[Countrywife]

Maybe tell the Rooster not to chase her? Seriously, I would put the rooster up, and leave a food trail back to the house. I am not sure this will work if you don't know where she is. I am picturing my 20 acre woods, and if a hen got in there I wouldn't begin to know where to look for her.

 

[eggchel]

Is your rooster outside? If so, he may find her and bring her back to the coop at night. IF the 40 acres is open pasture than that will be easier but if its wooded, then it isnt as likely. Sorry.

IF you do see her, try to keep an eye on her location around dusk and watch to see where she goes to roost. You might be able to snatch her then.

You can try putting out food and moving it closer to the coop everyday, if she survives the nights. She will want to be with other chickens so she may gravitate towards your rooster. That's how we recaptured a new peahen that escaped her first day here. She could hear the others in the pen so we gradually, day by day, lured her into the pen with food.

good luck

 

[NinjaChicken]

Thanks so much for all your responses. Unfortunately the acreage is wooded with sporadic underbrush. She ran down one of the six foot wide horse trails and then ducked into the woods. I went back to look for her this afternoon but no sign of her. Poor thing.

Left out food but just have no idea where she could be. I had an eye on her until I had to duck under a branch and when I got back up, she was gone. And this was in a relatively clear area. I sat at the top and listened. Nothing. It was like she disappeared magically.

 

[loralei]

They are blind at night and completely helpless. She will likely roost in a tree. I would take several people with flashlights and search in the area where you last saw her. The poor baby! She must be terrified! And I'm sure you feel pretty bad too although you had no way of knowing how she would react. I will pray for her safe return.

God bless,
Laura

 

[loralei]

A humane trap may be an option for the daylight hours. Just a thought! Good luck!

 

[ranchhand]

Quote:
Hopefully, she will come back in the daytime. They do get really scared when they are uprooted suddenly. And there should be at least 10 hens for every rooster.

I noticed that you didn't mention any quarantine period. Please read the following link. Healthy seeming chickens may be carriers of disease, and a minimum 30 day quarantine is highly recommended.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=12751

 

[silkiechicken]

I find chickens tend to gravitate to chickens. When ever the birds from the grow out pens get kicked out to join the big guys, they eventually go up to roost with the rest when they just can't get back into "home". Hope she makes it through the night.

 

[NinjaChicken]

Thanks for the additional advice! I will try all the suggested ways to get the other chicken back.

So here is more of the story: I took in a friend's rooster since he was upsetting the neighborhood. I live on five acres surrounded by 40 acre plots so could take him. We have an order of chicks coming in mid-March but the rooster is so lonely (he follows me from window to window as I walk about the house) that I wanted to get him a friend, one chicken, to hold him over til the girls get old enough. The farm store gave me the runaway chicken. We are going to try this again with another chicken.

Any suggestions on how to integrate the second new chicken? Is having one chicken with this rooster going to be torturous for her?

Thanks!