Where IS she going??? Disappearing hen

[FromChictoChick]

Ughhhhh I seem to have lousy luck with keeping ameraucanas they're so dang flighty!

My ameraucana hen keeps taking off every night, she just will not go into the hen house in the evening

We have a FIVE FOOT chain link fence and some how she's flying over it (she's a juvenile)

I cannot guess where she's going. We scoured the yard by late afternoon and she's gone, I searched everywhere, not a peep, not a feather, not a trace...yet she's been turning back up in the morning

I'm concerned because we live in MA and it is getting too cold for a single hen out all night. I tried shutting her in the coop for ~30 hours, but it didn't help

1) Where would she be going?
2) Would clipping her wings keep her in the yard
3) What else can I do to get her to get into the right routine???

 

[ChickensRDinos]

30 hours does not sound like enough time. I usually read 3 days - one week to properly "home" a chicken. I'm not sure clipping her wings will help. I have a flighty leghorn and she still gets over with ease after a clipping. Good luck.

 

[bird sitter]

In my opinion like chickensrdinos said. Clip her wings and go ahead and keep her in the coop for 3 day or so. After that get a good sized dog kennel ( wired not plastic )and keep her in it in the run while the other chickens are out during the day. Then she will understand she needs to stay RIGHT THERE during the day. That's what I do with new chickens. Good luck!

 

[donrae]

She's roosting up in a tree somewhere, most likely. Once they get up in a tree you'll never see them lol. Sounds like you'll have to keep her confined for several days to re-set her little chicken brain to roost in the coop. Even then, that roosting in a tree instinct is pretty strong in some birds, so you may just have to keep an eye on her.

 

[FromChictoChick]

Thanks! I'll try those suggestions!

I don't want her to freeze!