Random Hen Showed Up On The Property!

[lena_]

Today when we got back from my sibling's dance lessons, we went inside and everything was normal. Around 20 mins later my Stepdad arrived home from work, chatted with my Mom, and then told me that he had seen a chicken down the end of our driveway...

I suspected it was a rooster that someone had dumped, so I set off with my net to take a look.As I approached the end of the driveway, I saw the chicken! It had crossed over to the other side of the road and was scratching around in the grass. After a chase that took awhile, and a bit of a miracle catch(the chicken had wedged itself under a rotten log in an attempt to hide) I finally had secured the chicken, and surprisingly it wasn't a rooster!

She's quite pretty(Pure black with silver duckwing-type hackle feathers). I asked my parents what to do with her, they said to put her in the coop (our quarantine pen is destroyed, and she seemed healthy; Clean legs, no nasal discharge, alert, no lice or mites, butt fluff a little dirty tho) I put her up on the roosts and that's where this 'story begins'.

I clipped her wings, as my parents said that should prevent her from flying off. But I have so many questions!
The first question being where has she come from? Do you think someone dumped her?
Will she stay with the flock?

I kinda need help...

 

[FeatherstoneFrm]

Watch her to be sure the others don't pick on her too much. I brought a new adult chicken home and she stays on the roosts until I let there other adults out of the run. Then she comes down for food and water. She has established a dominant position over the 16 weeks old babies but as soon as I let the others back in, she runs back to the roosts.

 

[TheTropix]

Hi Feather Hearts She probably escaped somehow. If she'd been dumped, I'd think there would probably be at least another 1 or more chickens with her. Also like you mentioned, dumped usually means it's a rooster. I've had roosters dumped at my place, but never hens... go figure! lol Once she's accepted as part of the flock and she accepts the other chickens as her flock, they'll probably all get along just fine if you choose to keep her. If you don't want to keep her, hens/pullets are always easy to re-home. : )

 

[Col1948]

What's the word for Chicken Rustling, lynch mob on the way round lol.

Just kidding, maybe a near by neighbour has chickens and that one few the coop.

Col.

 

[centrarchid]

Picture of her?

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Picture of her?

X2

 

[lena_]

Watch her to be sure the others don't pick on her too much. I brought a new adult chicken home and she stays on the roosts until I let there other adults out of the run. Then she comes down for food and water. She has established a dominant position over the 16 weeks old babies but as soon as I let the others back in, she runs back to the roosts.

My RIR rooster seemed to take a fancy to her, and attempted to do his 'hen display' to her, it didn't really help, and he almost fell off his roost, lol. I'll watch out for any severe bullying, not just establishing pecking order.

Hi Feather Hearts She probably escaped somehow. If she'd been dumped, I'd think there would probably be at least another 1 or more chickens with her. Also like you mentioned, dumped usually means it's a rooster. I've had roosters dumped at my place, but never hens... go figure! lol Once she's accepted as part of the flock and she accepts the other chickens as her flock, they'll probably all get along just fine if you choose to keep her. If you don't want to keep her, hens/pullets are always easy to re-home. : )

That's why it's bizarre to me. My family and I live in the country, our nearest neighbours are at least three kilometers away, and only one keeps chickens... The one that does have chickens keeps them confined to a large, fenced area of his property/food forest. It would be quite the trek for her to make: Through the forest down his driveway, down the fairly long gravel road, and then onto my parent's farm... I do agree with you though, if it was dumped it would most likely be a rooster. I think I'll keep her, she seems like a nice hen that will fit in well with the flock, I'd just hate it if someone was worried sick about their missing hen...

What's the word for Chicken Rustling, lynch mob on the way round lol.

Just kidding, maybe a near by neighbour has chickens and that one few the coop.

Col.

My family and I live in the country, our nearest neighbours are at least three kilometers away, and only one keeps chickens... The one that does have chickens keeps them confined to a large, fenced area of his property/food forest. It would be quite the trek for her to make: Through the forest down his driveway, down the fairly long gravel road, and then onto my parent's farm... I mean maybe, but my neighbour (the one with the chickens) only keeps Barnelvenders and Barnelvender mixes, most of which being brown or light tan. Which is why I'm thoroughly confused.

Picture of her?

It's night time at the moment, I'll hopefully be able to get one in the morning

 

[aart]

It had crossed over to the other side of the road and was scratching around in the grass.

Finally, we know why!!!

 

[lena_]

Finally, we know why!!!

Ahh yes, I suppose the grass was greener on the other side

 

[lena_]

UPDATE:
So alot has happened, but Butter has gone broody! She is sitting on 21 eggs, all of which are fertile. It also turns out that she's one of our (new) neighbours chickens. The neighbour had four, but three had gone missing, so now she's only got one lonely hen(I'd say the other two were eaten by predators)
We're going to give Butter back to her owner when she's done raising the chicks, as the neighbour doesn't particularly want twenty one more chickens(and the neighbour is just relieved to know that her hen is okay).
Well, just thought I'd update y'all.
Here's a pic of Butter on her nest(only 18 days to go!
View attachment 1570859