Stray Chicken?

[fifenashia]

About a week or two ago I woke up one morning to find a strange chicken in my yard hanging with all my birds. We have about half an acre fenced in with livestock fence and a coop with hen house in the back yard. I currently have 4 hens, 4 ducks and 3 goats that all share the backyard together. This chicken shows up in the morning, stays all day long and then at night my girls go up to the coop and this stray chicken goes "home"? I'm not sure.

Anyway, tonight when I went down to to lock my birds up, this stray chicken is totally hanging out in my hen house. I'm not sure if it's a hen or roo as I have never had roos before. But he/she is not used to being handled as it flipped out when I petted it.

Has anyone ever heard of a stray chicken? Has it adopted us? I don't mind keeping it, it integrated itself into my flock (Gosh I hope it is not ill as their was no quarantine). This just totally weirded me out!

Any insights or similar stories would be helpful!

 

[GoldenSparrow]

Some people will dump their chickens, at someone else coop. ( most of the time its roosters)
I know someone who had a alot of chickens show up at his house.

Post a picture, and I can see if its a roo.

I hope you keep him or her.

 

[fifenashia]

Here are some pics although they aren't the best, it's still pretty skittish of people.

Regardless of hen or roo, the kids named it "Lightning" and it has found a new flock with us. It did let me pick it up tonight and it's young, very light, thin spindly legs and no waddle or comb yet. The body looks like a golden comet but the head is red like my RIR and the tail is huge and dark colored.

Ah well, we are upgrading the coop in the spring and turning the current coop into a goat house. I was planning on getting some more hens so what's one more mouth for now? I think it's a pretty little thing, whatever it is.

 

[TheJadeChicken]

Can't really tell from those pictures on gender. Got any side photos?

 

[fifenashia]

not yet, but I'll see if hubs can try to get some tomorrow, thanks for taking a look anywho!

 

[real_redhead]

Cute, I hope it works out and it looks like it found a good home!!

 

[fifenashia]

I went down to check on them and she is below with the ducks tonight. I was able to get a GREAT side shot of the little bugger.

 

[TheJadeChicken]

I went down to check on them and she is below with the ducks tonight. I was able to get a GREAT side shot of the little bugger.

Looks like a hen to me. No saddle feathers, wattles, or comb. She is beautiful! :O Is it a Large Fowl or Bantam, or do you know?

 

[Countrypunk92]

Looks like a game of some sort,Looks sort of like my Pheonixs I use to have.
What kind of comb?
She is a pullet for sure.
Good job! She looks like she loves it!

 

[fifenashia]

I have no idea what she is, she showed up in my yard just like that. She is very light and has a high pitch chirp that's adorable haha, I thought that it was a hen, but hubs was nervous. Weird that a hen would wander in like that.... Hmmmm