Chickens really tend to be hyper during the day and may wander around your field.
If you are planning to become a chicken keeper, have you ever wondered if your chickens have the chance to get lost?
If ever they do, are there any chances that they can come home on their own?
If you had these questions before, this article will help you answer the questions you have in your mind!
Losing a chicken may really get you worried, because you know that they are not protected out there in the wild and it is really dangerous.
There are all sorts of predators out there for example a hawk (Related article – When do hawks hunt chickens?)
Yes, chickens may get lost.
It is important for you to know that they do not run away unless there are reasons that has made them want to run away!
But the most important question is, can they come home on their own?
Chickens can go home on their own since they are capable of using the earth’s magnetic field to find their way back.
They can also use landmarks, call the neighbors, or hear their flock that would help them go back on their own.
So if your chicken does get lost, there is a chance it would come back
Let’s get into more detail
How Do You Get a Lost Chicken To Come Home?
In general, your lost chicken can come home as long as it is not being eaten by a predator. (hopefully this never happens!)
Still, there are ways you can try to help your chicken figure out the way back to their coop.
1. Use a torch night to look for them
Chickens are not great at night, so they may try to wander around the area looking for their home.
To also add some help on their part, you may try to use a torch night where they can easily see or spot their chicken coop or your garden.
It is also best to look for any reflective eyes as it is possible that those eyes belong to your chicken!
2. Inform your neighborhood
If you are a chicken keeper with friendly people around you, it is best to also ask for help to look for your missing chicken.
After all, the more people looking and helping you out, the easier and quickly for you to find your fowl again.
3. Use a dog to find your chicken
The dog’s nose is one of the best methods to locate your chicken.
If you have a dog that is trained enough to do the job, you can simply let it sniff a feather and see if you can find your lost fowl.
What To Do If You Lose a Chicken?
If you suspect that one of your chickens is missing, the first thing you need to do is not to panic.
Chickens will usually try to hide in places where they feel safe.
It is also possible that they lost their way because of a few circumstances, such as a predator threat.
If you lose a chicken, it is best to try to find them where they can hide, such as nest boxes, corners, tall grass, and other unusual places.
You can also try to ask for some help from your neighbors or co-keepers to help you locate your fowl.
There are owners who are keeping dogs raised with chickens just for instances like this.
If you happen to be one of them, have your dog smell a feather and see if they can locate your fowl.
Do Chickens Find Their Way Home?
Chickens can absolutely find their way home.
In the very first place, fowls do not like to wander off too far from their home.
In most cases, they might only get lost in nearby places where they can easily go back.
These birds are also capable of sensing the Earth’s magnetic field that they can use to navigate direction.
Chickens have their own maps to use through this magnetic field which will help them find their way home.
What Happens When a Chicken Disappears?
There are many possible reasons behind the disappearance of your chicken.
Well, even if they do disappear out of nowhere, it is likely that they will be able to go home again.
But what if they have not come back after several days?
Chickens may suddenly disappear and never come back again for several reasons.
The most possible reason is that some predator out there managed to corner your poor fowl.
If this is what really happened, then it is better not to get your hopes up that they can still come back.
They may also be stolen by someone else or they are just genuinely lost, wandering in the wild.
If your chicken is new and is not yet familiar with the coop yet, they may really wander off the area.
This is the reason why it is important to always keep up with nice precautionary measures to prevent any missing fowls.
Always keep your chicken coop closed during the night too
Another thing to mention is make sure the fence is high and they can’t dig under the fence
Chickens Disappearing During The Day – How You Can Stop This
Investing in a chicken coop and a fenced-in area will solve your problems and worries of having a missing chicken.
This will help you keep and protect your flock in your area without them wandering off too much.
Make sure you also cover any holes or spaces they can use to get outside of your fences.
If you want to let your chickens loose in the yard, the best time of the day to do that is around evening.
Your flock would naturally come home on their own before nightfall without too much a problem.
Of course, nothing beats supervising and monitoring.
Keep an eye on your chickens and make sure you do headcounts from the moment you let them roam around the area until they get back home.
Wrapping Up
There is a possibility that chickens may get lost.
Pets in general can get lost
It’s not your fault if they do so you shouldn’t be too hard on yourself
However, they will usually find their way home, unless they get attacked by a predator or any possible serious reasons
Chickens can use the Earth’s magnetic field to go home on their own without any problems.
Still, it is better to make ways that would help you keep them.
Having a good coop, better fences, and secured area will significantly reduce the chances of missing chickens.
