Help! Lost/missing/stolen chicken!

[ILoveMyHens]

One of my chickens is missing. I live in a residential area and keep the girls in my backyard, which has a 6 foot privacy fence. I have (had?) four pullets that had just started to lay eggs. Yesterday, I when I let the girls out of the coop, one of them wasn’t there. I didn’t worry too much; she had spent the night outside the coop before. But she wasn’t there again this morning. I can’t find any sign of her or of a struggle.
There are lots of feral cats in the area, but the chickens don’t seem to be bothered by them. No dog could have gotten in (unless it was very small.) There is a porch the girls sometimes go under, but she isn’t under there. There is also a small studio in the back- I can’t see too well, but I wonder if she could be holed up in there. She was trying to sit on some eggs a while back. Could she be hiding out there?
If anyone can think of a place a chicken would hide or a way of finding her, please let me know. I am quite worried, though the other girls seem fine.
Katie

 

[elfkin2001]

Most of the time when my chickens don't return it's due to death; either naturally or by a predator. I hope she comes home! *hug*

 

[McGoo]

Are you getting about the same amount of eggs? And when she wanted to sit on the eggs was it in a nesting box?

Maybe she's made her own nest somewhere? I'd look under things and in little size spots to see if she's nesting.

Are the other chickens acting nervous? If they are then I'd suspect 'fowl' play. If not, I'd be looking for her.

When I have lost chickens - (2 times) the others where really nervous and flighty.


If this was a predator attack - hawk, owl, fox, raccoon - none would be stopped by a 6' fence.

I wish you well.

Keep looking cause it sounds like she might just be setting soemwhere.

 

[JennsPeeps]

If you think there's a chance she's out sitting on eggs somewhere, go over your yard with a fine tooth comb and see if she's under a bush.

Good luck!!

 

[sue3]

We used to have a little bantam hen that did not want to hatch out eggs in the chicken house. A couple of times she disappeared and set on eggs outside before we could find her. Once she was behind a climbing a rose bush and another year showed up with her newly hatched brood by our house in the fall. I agree to search very carefully through your yard and see if she might be setting somewhere under or behind something there. Good luck to find her!

 

[McGoo]

Did she come home??? Any luck?

 

[horsejody]

I'll bet she has gone broody and is hiding out somewhere.

 

[ILoveMyHens]

She returned this morning. I have no clue where she was, but when I went out to let the girls out of the coop, she was pecking around outside, cool as a cuecumber. I hadn't been able to find her in the yard, but I'm not a chicken, so I'm sure I don't know all the hiding places. I'm just so glad she's back. I was imagining her in pain or dead and my nerves were shot.
I thank y'all for the support and advice!
Katie

 

[mistylady]

I'm glad she came out of hiding!