say a prayer tonight

[brookwoodpat]

For one of my five month old Red Star hens. They are just starting to lay. She and a friend of hers somehow discovered a way out of the yard (six foot fences) for the first time on Sunday, naturally jusst as I was due at a humane society event. I caught them and put them back inside the fence.

Today I left them in their coop and chicken yard till noon, while I walked the fence and looked for where they might have gotten out and then -- thinking it might be just one of those things --- in five months they have never gotten out -- I let them out again. And I caught them in the front yard again. So I locked them up in the coop - doors all shut. Then, I realized that the rest couldn't go inside in the evening, and I had a class I had to go to. So I let the two trouble makers out again,hoping it was near enough to evening that the two bad hens would stick close.

Well, the teacher kept us later than usual, and it was dusk when I got home. Ten chooks were in their coop, and one -- the troublemaker -- was not. I looked in all the bushes and trees with a flashlight for over an hour and couldn't find her. I hope she has just hidden herself well for the night. It is so inexplicable to me that with an acre and a half, this silly chicken had to find some way out of the yard. I had planned to let her loose and sit in the front yard tomorrow to watch and see what she was doing, but now I am just hoping she has and will survive the predator filled night. So say a prayer for my wayward chick, if you would. I know I am partly to blame, but I just am so frustrated that this chicken, after five months, had to pick the time she did to do this. Why is it they can find their way out and never back?!!!

 

[menageriemama]

Hope she stays safe... I have one guinea left who pulls the same shenanigans.

 

[brookwoodpat]

My chicken was safe. I hardly got a wink of sleep and was up at dawn to find her. I have her temporarily locked up in the baby coop and yard. She's very unhappy as she is used to ranging through a fenced acre, but for now, that's where she is going to stay until I can figure out how she is getting out.

 

[SpottedCrow]

Leghorns are sneaky like that too.
I put up extra fencing over the top of the fence so that she couldn't fly over and the little wench snuck UNDER.

 

[Miltonchix]

They're probably not going through but OVER the fence. I let my Red Stars forage every day. They were on TOP of the coop a couple days ago. 10 feet up!

 

[TubbyChicken]

I'm so glad you found her! One of our hens got out a few nights ago. It was so awful to worry about her. My husband was able to find her but I was so worried and terrified while she was lost.

 

[brookwoodpat]

I'm hoping I found where she was sneaking out -- a small space under the deck where the fence meets a window insert. I blocked it and we'll see if that solves the problem.

Every time I found her she was in the same area, and I think she was after old eggshells from a catbird nest. So for the last couple of days, I've been giving her and her companions a plate of eggshells and some scrambled egg.

I'm a bit surprised if she is calcium hungry as she forages in a yard full of grass and clover all day long. But those chickens ate up every bit of those eggshells, so I guess I won't be throwing away eggshells any more. I haven't bought layer food yet, as I only found eggs last week for the first time, and so far as I know, only 2 chickens are laying. I was going to finish up the bag of chick food I had first. But this weekend I'll buy layer food.