What are the chances I'll see my hen again?

[Truscifi]

We let our birds out to forage daily. A couple weeks ago one of my hens went AWOL. Everyone else was there as usual, and there was no sign of a disturbance. She just didn't come when we called them in for dinner. We have looked for her several times. but the area around our house is wooded and has plenty of brambles. One of our other hens has been disappearing occasionally too but she always comes back. I'm hoping she is sitting on a nest somewhere and we just can't find her. If so, will she come back when they hatch? And when might we expect that to happen?

 

[Ocegra]

The same thing happened to me, but with the rest of my 4 chickens. I haven't seen them yet sadly. I think they are still alive somewhere. I think I'll see them again one day. I just got 16 new chicks so that refreshed me a little. You may never see your chicken again, but she might just be at the neighbors house or on a small tree. I'm sorry about that. But I think there is a good chance she'll also come back if your other one does. Time will show you.

 

[Truscifi]

I hope she does. And with poults in tow. We want to try hatching some ourselves in an incubator, but I was hoping a hen would go broody and hatch some too.

 

[retlaw]

Years ago back on the family farm my father would let the pigs free range.
And I mean real free range.
They had no fence.
Most of the time they stayed on the quarter section but they would disappear from time to time but most show up a mile or two away eating up some neighbors garden.
If they did lots of damage we would give them a pig when we butcher them.
Everyone was happy.

One year they went missing and no one called saying they were in their yards.
Dad called the places they would end up in but no one had seen then.
I think it was two sows that were missing this time.
So after an extended search and after two months hope was given up, they were gone and most likely killed.

Then one day the two sows showed up with if I remember right some where around 29 piglets in tow.
Big smiles were all around.
So anything can happen.

 

[Ocegra]

Sometimes I see one or two feathers of their feathers. So I know mine are alive

 

[retlaw]

Does the bird have access to drinking water?
She has to be drinking from somewhere.
Find out where and maybe you might find her.

 

[cracked egg]

That behavior is typical of my birds. They usually show up towards the end of June with their poults. Be warned though that predation can be high on the poults and possibly the hen. It seems that the nests I dont find have the highest.survivability.