Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[Smokerbill]

I have very sad news tonight. Cooper flew the coop, right over the fence, and into the forest. We've been out looking for him, but it is impossible with all the ferns, especially at night. We didn't know he was gone until we went out to close in the chickens. This is a rain forest, very dense with ferns. I don't know if he'll make it through the night, and I don't know if he would even come back to the coop. It hadn't had a chance to become his home.

I'm sooo sorry @Smokerbill. I wish we hadn't taken him for this to be his end. I have never had a chicken fly over the fence and out of our enclosure. I've raised a half a dozen cockerels in the bachelor pad with no trouble. I have 19 chickens and none of them try to fly over the fence. I'm saddened and at a loss as to what to do. I'm hoping he will show up in the morning but I don't think there is much chance of that.

No worries Valerie. I feel bad for you that he escaped. Go out to listen for his crowing around 4:30 or 5:00AM tomorrow and you'll probaby hear him. He is very loud.

He knows the sound of scratch shaking in a plastic dry roasted peanut container, if that helps. And he likes scratch.

But I don't know how you could capture him. Ever since his brother humiliated him by beating him into submission, he was afraid of me too. I think he considered me the top rooster, because he wouldn't eat or drink in my presence, and he kept far, far away.

And I'm sorry that he flew the coop. I think he has a lot of promise. Maybe if you leave some hens accessible to him tomorrow his hormones will pull him back to the flock.

I'm sure he'll find a place to roost up high tonight, so I think he'll survive. He is very cautious and observant. He warned the pullets of dangers a few times, so I think he has a sharp eye.

Keep us posted.

 

[ValerieJ]

No worries Valerie. I feel bad for you that he escaped. Go out to listen for his crowing around 4:30 or 5:00AM tomorrow and you'll probaby hear him. He is very loud.

He knows the sound of scratch shaking in a plastic dry roasted peanut container, if that helps. And he likes scratch.

But I don't know how you could capture him. Ever since his brother humiliated him by beating him into submission, he was afraid of me too. I think he considered me the top rooster, because he wouldn't eat or drink in my presence, and he kept far, far away.

And I'm sorry that he flew the coop. I think he has a lot of promise. Maybe if you leave some hens accessible to him tomorrow his hormones will pull him back to the flock.

I'm sure he'll find a place to roost up high tonight, so I think he'll survive. He is very cautious and observant. He warned the pullets of dangers a few times, so I think he has a sharp eye.

Keep us posted.

Thanks. That might be helpful. But this forest is full of predators. I'm very sad. Can't sleep for worrying about him. I just can't believe he did this. And I wish we had gone out earlier to close the coop. Maybe we would have caught him.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Ahh Val that is a tough road he took., I know Pete was in wire crate
like 4 days before I ever let him out now after 2 weeks he takes food from me to give his hens I had to gain his trust.

 

[Grandmas Coop]

5:35am ,going out to open the coop and get the soaker hoes going,,
a lot going on in the kitchen canning, pickling
Have a great day!

 

[ValerieJ]

Well, I didn't need to crate Cooper because he had a complete run and coop of his own right next to the flock. In 10 years, I've never had a chicken fly the coop like that. I just can't believe he did it. It is a tall fence.

I've been out this morning looking for him. No sign of him anywhere. No crowing either, except by my rooster Pippi.

 

[Grandmas Coop]

Well, I didn't need to crate Cooper because he had a complete run and coop of his own right next to the flock. In 10 years, I've never had a chicken fly the coop like that. I just can't believe he did it. It is a tall fence.

I've been out this morning looking for him. No sign of him anywhere. No crowing either, except by my rooster Pippi.

He may still show up, can you leave open so if he does wander he can get to the coop, and set food and water out in the run,

shake that feed can

 

[ValerieJ]

There is no outside access to the run. It is enclosed within the main run. I can't leave the gate open to the larger run or I'm letting all the chickens out. Not that they would go out. I leave it open when I'm feeding them treats from time to time and no one wanders out. My chickens like their enclosure. He just didn't have enough time to like his. And he wasn't able to be with the girls yet, so he was probably frustrated about that. But then jump the fence into their run, not out into the forest.

I'm very sad about it.

 

[ValerieJ]

Good news! Cooper is alive! He finally started crowing. So much for 4:30 am crowing, @Smokerbill. I've been up listening for him since then. He didn't start until about 6am.

Anyway, he is running around the coop wanting in, but if I get anywhere near him, he runs back into the forest. There is no getting him there. I will need help rounding him up, so waiting for DH to get a move on this morning. Then we'll go out and try again. I can keep the door to the big run open and try to chase him around to that, but he just keeps running into the forest. Little putz.

 

[ValerieJ]

Great news! Cooper is in the coop! He is in with all the hens and Pippi, but doing okay for the moment. The girls are already saying, "Oh no you don't" to him and Pippi chases him around every now and then to show him who is boss of this flock. Pippi won't actually chase him down and attack. Cooper would have to turn to face Pippi for a show down and it's obvious that is not happening.

So relieved.

 

[Smokerbill]

Great news! Cooper is in the coop! He is in with all the hens and Pippi, but doing okay for the moment. The girls are already saying, "Oh no you don't" to him and Pippi chases him around every now and then to show him who is boss of this flock. Pippi won't actually chase him down and attack. Cooper would have to turn to face Pippi for a show down and it's obvious that is not happening.

So relieved.

Great! I'm happy for you that Cooper returned. I kind of figured he'd survive the night out in the wilds. In addition to his wariness, his coloration would make it difficult for predators to see him.

Are you going to confine him more securely for a while?