Stories of chicken running away?

[RoosterWhisperer]

His name was Pepper.

 

[Bonwell]

Never thought this would happen to me but 3 days ago one of my hens ran away from home. I went looking for her and she was at the end of my street on the wall. A loud noise startled her and she jumped off the wall.
Unfortunately, on the other side of the wall is a 30 foot drop (around 9 metres) and the woods. I was panicking at this point as I couldn’t see her anywhere when I looked over the wall. Not in any trees or in the dense foliage on the ground. We went to the woods to look for her and someone we met in the woods said he came here often and pointed out a fox’s den he’d seen a few weeks ago (very close to where my hen jumped from ).
We searched for her for 2 days and gave up hope as there wasn’t much food or water in the woods and we thought we’d never find her. We have also seen many foxes and predators roaming the woods at night so thought there was no way she’d be alive.
Anyways, this morning one of my neighbours told me that last night she had seen a chicken sleeping in a tree near the other side of the wall. In the morning the chicken was under her car. Turns out it was my lost hen! She’d come home and must have been hungry and thirsty.
She has been given lots of treats and cuddles and smells of the woods. It’s a nice change as she usually smells of wet dog
She doesn’t have a scratch on her but her feet are very dirty and she’s drinking a lot of water. I never would have thought I’d have a mini Bear Grylls in my flock
I don’t know how on Earth she survived! Maybe she landed on one of the neighbouring trees when she fell. Or she landed on the ground and flew onto one of the lower branches and climbed her way up? We have a tree in our garden that she loves climbing so she has practice.
Anyways I thought I’d share this story to anyone who has lost a chicken recently, they’re incredibly smart and resourceful so don’t underestimate them! I know other birds migrate so obviously have amazing navigation skills but I never thought my chickens would! I am amazed.
Does anyone else have any stories like this? I’d love to know.

This past summer one of my Red sexlink hens escaped from the coop and completely disappeared. I went out into the pouring rain and searched for her for hours but to no avail. Then I Went back out when it was dark out, but still nothing. Around here we have tonsssss of racoons, so I just assumed she was gone. But sure enough the next morning there she was, waiting at the door with her feathers being completely soaked through since we had a torrential rain storm all night long after that she never left the pen again, so I suppose she learned her lesson lol

 

[Sun dancing chicken]

Never thought this would happen to me but 3 days ago one of my hens ran away from home. I went looking for her and she was at the end of my street on the wall. A loud noise startled her and she jumped off the wall.
Unfortunately, on the other side of the wall is a 30 foot drop (around 9 metres) and the woods. I was panicking at this point as I couldn’t see her anywhere when I looked over the wall. Not in any trees or in the dense foliage on the ground. We went to the woods to look for her and someone we met in the woods said he came here often and pointed out a fox’s den he’d seen a few weeks ago (very close to where my hen jumped from ).
We searched for her for 2 days and gave up hope as there wasn’t much food or water in the woods and we thought we’d never find her. We have also seen many foxes and predators roaming the woods at night so thought there was no way she’d be alive.
Anyways, this morning one of my neighbours told me that last night she had seen a chicken sleeping in a tree near the other side of the wall. In the morning the chicken was under her car. Turns out it was my lost hen! She’d come home and must have been hungry and thirsty.
She has been given lots of treats and cuddles and smells of the woods. It’s a nice change as she usually smells of wet dog
She doesn’t have a scratch on her but her feet are very dirty and she’s drinking a lot of water. I never would have thought I’d have a mini Bear Grylls in my flock
I don’t know how on Earth she survived! Maybe she landed on one of the neighbouring trees when she fell. Or she landed on the ground and flew onto one of the lower branches and climbed her way up? We have a tree in our garden that she loves climbing so she has practice.
Anyways I thought I’d share this story to anyone who has lost a chicken recently, they’re incredibly smart and resourceful so don’t underestimate them! I know other birds migrate so obviously have amazing navigation skills but I never thought my chickens would! I am amazed.
Does anyone else have any stories like this? I’d love to know.

Something like that happened to one of my hens as well! But I’m glad you got her back!