The Old Folks Home

Could be something scared her and she was hiding somewhere.

That’s what I’m thinking. But it’s a puzzle. She’s at the top of the pecking order and I wonder why the others didn’t scatter. They are almost always together.

I’m excited for them to begin laying! My black Australorp seems ready; she has been squatting for awhile and she is always ravenous. The two Buff Orpingtons also seem ready, but a little behind Blackbird. And my poor little Callie, the G L Wyandotte. Smaller than the others, lowest on the pecking order, and not the brightest bulb on the tree. She is very shy and hard to round up and get back into the coop - she doesn’t want to get that close to me! I try to make sure she gets a bug when I have some to give.
 
They are almost at POL. But they haven’t been out in weeks. A couple of them have been scratching around in their new nest box and bawk-bawk-bawking.

They are 20 weeks old.
They do get crazy at POL!
 
They do get crazy at POL!

Good to know! These four are my first venture in chickens. They do seem especially hungry lately, and there is much more noise! Now two of them have deep, growly voices, very demanding!

She really startled me when she came home. I was starting to think about the advantages of having only three!
 
Good to know! These four are my first venture in chickens. They do seem especially hungry lately, and there is much more noise! Now two of them have deep, growly voices, very demanding!

She really startled me when she came home. I was starting to think about the advantages of having only three!
They calm down quickly after they start laying. It is kind of cute
 
In my experience those that are very aloof if they don't downright run away when you are near tend to get more friendly as they get close to POL. I don't mean friendly like "hey make a lap, I want to sit on you", they just seem to not be as afraid I'm going to kill them or something. So far I've not had any that wouldn't eventually take treats from my hand. But there are those that will call to me if they are on a nest at treat time and others that will leave the nest if I try to give them something. They each have their own personalities.
 
Do you suppose this is an okay place to ask a mild chicken question?

I let my four out today then turned and went to the porch to get my anti-tick gaiters on. I heard a loud bawk- bawk-bawk and I thought there was a squabble. I came out and there were only three!

We hunted and called, but I was convinced she had been carried off by a hawk. We were sad. DH tried not to say “I told you so.”

About 45 minutes later, she showed up outside the coop. Not a scratch on her! What’s up? I think she was in a tree and I didn’t look up enough. What do you think? They always stick together.
Sometimes they hide in bushes, or up a tree.
 

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