The Poultry Keeper

Autumn · Joined: 27 Jun 2008 Posts: 486 Location: Suffolk

We've had our 3 hens for nearly 2 weeks now and let them roam free in the garden for the last week. Today, the window cleaners didn't shut the gate properly and one of our girls is missing. She could only have been gone for half an hour at the most as I was home at the time and had checked previously. She has vanished! We live on a quiet close with fields near by. There is no sign of droppings, no feathers and no clucking (she is very chatty!!). Does anyone know how far and how quickly hens might roam? We are so worried about her, especially as she has her wings clipped....

Welsh Duck · Posted: Fri Jul 04, 2008 10:04 pm Post subject:

It depends a lot on the breed, but they dont usually go far, she may be squat in a hedge nearby, Has she gone broody in your garden

Autumn · Joined: 27 Jun 2008 Posts: 486 Location: Suffolk

She's a Bovans Goldline - very friendly and chatty. I've checked all around our garden and asked my neighbours to check theirs or if they've seen her...no-one's seen anything, which is wierd as I would have thought that as she's such an unusual sight, that someone would have seen her! She's just vanished without a trace. She's been missing since 11:30 this morning. Crying or Very sad

Pekinout · Joined: 29 Apr 2008 Posts: 1155 Location: Cornwall

Maybe someone took a shine to her? I know its a daft question but have you checked in the chook house? She may be in there.

The other thing is someone might have taken a shine to her and picked her up.

Autumn · Joined: 27 Jun 2008 Posts: 486 Location: Suffolk

We just put the others to bed...she wasn't there. We did think maybe someone took her - but there aren't really many people around here - only residents and the neigbours wouldn't have taken her - we'd hear her!! Very Happy

jessjess · Joined: 28 May 2008 Posts: 218 Location: Derbyshire

Hope you find her soon! Our neighbors had their guinea pigs stolen out the front garden last week, couldnt have been foxes as they put the lid back on the run.

Autumn · Joined: 27 Jun 2008 Posts: 486 Location: Suffolk

That's awful! Sad

Some people are just so mean.
Hopefully I'll have some happy news for you all tomorrow!
Thanks for your help and concern everyone. Very Happy

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 7347 Location: isle of lewis

we lost a duck a while ago ,left it a couple of days then advertised on local radio ,got a phone call a week later they had moved 4 doors up about a mile and the lady had had a fresh egg laid every day outside her back door for a week (but we don't have foxes here )
we also lost a silkie and didn't see her for a week till she nipped back for a quick bite to eat ,she'd gone broodie next door in the reeds
over the years there have been quite a few missing chickens on the forum ,one was found wondering up a road ,a lot of them have turned up,so you might be lucky,i hope so

Autumn · Joined: 27 Jun 2008 Posts: 486 Location: Suffolk

Thanks - lets hope so!

Pekinout · Joined: 29 Apr 2008 Posts: 1155 Location: Cornwall

I bet you'll be up half the night wondering where she is and straining to hear her. I'm the same with my cats if one decided to go night hunting. I shut them in now at 7pm and feed them then lock the catflap until the morning. I can't stand the stress of worrying.

I'll keep everything crossed for you. Try not to get too upset.

jessjess · Joined: 28 May 2008 Posts: 218 Location: Derbyshire

Our cat is locked in overnight for the same reason but she normally returns when you whistle. Very Happy

Autumn · Joined: 27 Jun 2008 Posts: 486 Location: Suffolk

Still haven't found her Sad

actually, no trace of her at all....?I've read posts of others turning up after a few days...we can just hope! Our first hens...and in two weeks we've lost one and another has some type of cold/cough and no laying - and I thought keeping hens was the way to total relaxation... Very Happy

One of our cats, Herbie, went missing for 5 weeks - he was only 8 months old - it was the most awful time. We walked and called every night, did leaflets to over 250 houses, local papers, shop windows, cats protection...the worst bit is your own imagination!! A lovely lady from the Cats protection league forund him outside an old ladies house - and he looked so well. He'd got across the main road and obviously hadn't been able to get back. Luckily, he'd been fed by a lot of people we found out. We were in tears, the cat protection lady was in tears the old lady was beaming - I'll never forget it! It also taught me not to give up hope - ever!
We always keep ours in at night too.
Thanks for all the comments and help! Very Happy

Welsh Duck · Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 10:12 pm Post subject:

I hope she turns up soon Very Happy

CP · Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 2:06 am Post subject:

We had one missing for 6 days before we found her, so there is hope yet.
I'll keep my fingers crossed for her safe return.

EGirl · Joined: 01 Nov 2007 Posts: 1238 Location: Dublin, Ireland

Autumn, I really feel for you. Lets hope she turns up soon. Do go walking & calling her, she may be cowering in a hedge somewhere.

Your story brought tears to my eyes. I've a lovely old cat, Bob, who went missing for three days once. He turned up, hiding on a roof the other side of the lane, just couldn't figure out how to get back. I'll never forget hearing a faint meow as I trudged up that lane that 3rd evening. I just knew it was him. It took a further 30mins to find him & my OH was convinced I was hallucinating. But we found him and I cried with relief all the way home. I don't take him for granted any more.

Good luck.
ex