One of our girls was missing for over two weeks...

[Little Tala Bug]

One evening over two weeks ago, one of our girls, Henrietta, vanished into thin air. We searched everywhere for days to no avail, and eventually resigned ourself to preparing for the worst.

Yesterday morning we got a fresh batch of pullets in from a nearby farm and were in the garden settling them in. Our friend who was visiting saw that the dogs were hunting shrews in their usual patch under a big tarp we are using to suppress weeds, and he wanted to see what the fuss was all about.

So he peeled back the tarp, and there was Henrietta!!! Safe and sound, pancaked over a clutch of eggs. We popped a small spare coop over her and gave her some food and water. Our elder cockerel, William, has been standing watch by her coop since we found her. He's such a good boy. I don't know how she even fit under the tarp, let alone managed to survive with no obvious food or water sources for 16 days. We walk across that tarp all the time when we are gardening, so it's a miracle she wasn't injured in all that time.

I'm over the moon that our Henrietta has been found safe... there was a part of me that never stopped hoping she was out there somewhere raising some babies and would come back to us. Today is day 17 since she has been missing so we will hopefully have chicks very soon.

 

[southwestclucker]

HOORAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!

 

[Bella the Chicken Lover]

One evening over two weeks ago, one of our girls, Henrietta, vanished into thin air. We searched everywhere for days to no avail, and eventually resigned ourself to preparing for the worst.

Yesterday morning we got a fresh batch of pullets in from a nearby farm and were in the garden settling them in. Our friend who was visiting saw that the dogs were hunting shrews in their usual patch under a big tarp we are using to suppress weeds, and he wanted to see what the fuss was all about.

So he peeled back the tarp, and there was Henrietta!!! Safe and sound, pancaked over a clutch of eggs. We popped a small spare coop over her and gave her some food and water. Our elder cockerel, William, has been standing watch by her coop since we found her. He's such a good boy. I don't know how she even fit under the tarp, let alone managed to survive with no obvious food or water sources for 16 days. We walk across that tarp all the time when we are gardening, so it's a miracle she wasn't injured in all that time.

I'm over the moon that our Henrietta has been found safe... there was a part of me that never stopped hoping she was out there somewhere raising some babies and would come back to us. Today is day 17 since she has been missing so we will hopefully have chicks very soon.

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I have a chicken named Henrietta I am so glad you found her! I literally almost cried when I read this, it must have been so relieving for you!

 

[Coops Dad]

Do you have an incubator ready? Whether or not those are all her eggs or she had co-contributors, you're looking at a staggered hatch. She'll be done setting a couple of days (at the outside) after the first chicks hatch and she'll come off the nest permanently at that point.

 

[Coops Dad]

Also, consider renaming her Revenant; she's come back from the list.

 

[Little Tala Bug]

Do you have an incubator ready? Whether or not those are all her eggs or she had co-contributors, you're looking at a staggered hatch. She'll be done setting a couple of days (at the outside) after the first chicks hatch and she'll come off the nest permanently at that point.

I'll look into that, thanks.

 

[Little Tala Bug]

I have a chicken named Henrietta I am so glad you found her! I literally almost cried when I read this, it must have been so relieving for you!

It really was such a relief, I was nearly in tears of joy when I realised it was her. Every time I pass her little makeshift broody coop I am filled with joy. Her little determined face and pancake body make me so overcome with emotion.

 

[Bella the Chicken Lover]

It really was such a relief, I was nearly in tears of joy when I realised it was her. Every time I pass her little makeshift broody coop I am filled with joy. Her little determined face and pancake body make me so overcome with emotion.

Where was she even?

 

[Little Tala Bug]

Where was she even?

She was under a tarp that we were using to suppress weeds in the garden. The full details and pics of where we found her are in the OP =)

 

[Bella the Chicken Lover]

She was under a tarp that we were using to suppress weeds in the garden. The full details and pics of where we found her are in the OP =)

You must have been so happy! What breed is she? She's beautiful