One hen keeps disapearing then coming back!

[FLOWERPOT]

Princess prissy is my 7 month old white old english hen, I was so upset when she just disapeared about 2 weeks ago, I couldnt find her anywhere! This morning I went out to let them out of the coop into the run and I turn around to see her right there! Now she is gone again~!
I let them free range in the yard usually for the last couple of hours in the evening before they go to (bed) so maby she came from the woods that runs along the back of the run and I didnt notice her coming? We have never had a predator problem ~ Knock on wood~
My coop is a 2 story barn that I reconstructed into a coop. I thought I had it fixed so they couldnt get to the top without working at it. apparently she worked at it and did, and I figured she must have gone broody and climbed up there, but when I got out the ladder and climbed up there I didnt see any sign of her or any eggs anywhere.
There is a lot of stuff up there though. a lot of camping stuff, and some left-over pieces of this and that from the house construction. wood, shingles, insulation, tubing from something....

Will a 7 month old go broody? I cant figure what else she would be disapearing to do...
And I also thought that OEG bantams were a less likely breed to go broody...

 

[Omran]

I am really sorry to hearthat,thatwill drive me crazy.
I don't know much about broody chickens, but everything is possible.
Did you try to go into the wood and see if you can trace her,or find maybe her (duds).
Maybe she is roostingon trees ovenight!

Anyway I wish you the best luck finding her.
Omran

 

[Chirpy]

It certainly sounds like she has a clutch of eggs somewhere. If you see her again I'd suggest covertly following her to see if you can figure out what she's doing.

Good luck... I hope she shows up with a bunch of little fuzzies following her.

 

[newchicks]

My 6-7 month old RIR went broody after only laying for about 3 weeks. I found here hiding under some pampas grass. I talked to BYC and I ended up taking her off her nest for 2 days then she quit. So that's my idea, that's she broody and hiding her nest. I found her by quietly following her and listening for her little cooing sounds. Good luck

 

[Henrietta23]

I had a silver spangled hamburg that did that each spring for several years. She would get over or under the fence into the neighbors' yard. I'm sure she was laying eggs over there somewhere but we never found them. Eventually she'd come home. It was very anxiety provoking! I hope she comes home and stays soon!

 

[MagsC]

You might have to lock her up for a while to prevent her running off. Though seeing if she has eggs first is probably a good idea. I would be so worried some predator might get her if she is ranging too far out.

 

[FLOWERPOT]

oooH,
Wouldnt that be too cool if she were to come waddeling home one morning with little chickies following behind her!!!
Its been at least 2 weeks, so maby she will be doing that soon!!
Now Im excited!

 

[LocoPollo]

I have a friend who has a hen like that. She runs off to lay her eggs, then is away for three weeks to hatch them, then comes home with 14 chicks in tow!

 

[Sugar Sand Farm]

We have the same problem with our Banty hens. They find the way out of their run all the time Its a regular daily search for the eggs. I never realized they were so broodie. When a friend of DH's gave us 10 banties in January we quickly found out keeping them in their pen would be impossible. They get out and head for the woods,the pasture , the pig pen or turkey pen. I have found broodie moms in the goat house,the dog house,one of the hens Buttercup just hatched 4 in one of the goat houses. During the day you wouldnt know we had banties, but come evening they all return. I have noticed that the broody hens tend to keep their chickies to themselves they don't return to the coop until they are really big. By the way we now have 31 banties lol