# chicken hikes



## powderhogg01 (Jun 4, 2013)

Ok, I have been having a strange thing go on with a few of my birds. 
this spring I hatched several birds, I got 2 lavandar orpingtons from jim, and an EE (i think) from another source. these 3 hatched out and were brought up together. 2 roos and a hen, they are best buds and never seperate. Recently the terrific trio decided that the forage was better elsewhere, they leave my yard(not an easy task as its a 10 foot cliff, and hike up the hillside for a day or two then they return when they feel like it.
I live high up in the rockies, we have everything from ferrets and weasels to mountain lion and bear.. yet these birds just do what they want. Honestly I was ok with it, until my new hedemora rooster (rather young) decided to do the same thing last night. One minute he is in the run being a chicken.. the next he is no where to be seen. I was hoping that he would show up this morning, as I do not think a silkied young cockerel would do too well and would show up.. alas he is not in my or any of the neighbors yards. 
Where would this little tacker be hiding or any idea?
I can post some pictures of my yard in a bit.. it is fenced in enough I have not had birds leave the yard before this.. now they all just do what they want.. might be time to lock them in the pen for a week or so..


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Sometimes we are forced to do what we don't want to and make the hard choice to keep them up. If your desire is to have heritage breeds and you have breeding pairs that will get you where you want to be, protecting them for their own good may be your only option.

My Silkies only ever free ranged when I was present. My flight birds free ranged all day until they either broke the rules or a predator's presence was spotted.


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## powderhogg01 (Jun 4, 2013)

if you can recall last year, I just about nixed the predator problem of my little town in the butt. Sure, I live at over 9,000 feet in the last town before hitting the continental divide. To say i got all the predators away from my house is ignorance, however I have not had an animal taken from my coop or yard since last summer.
to have no feathers or blood anywhere in the yard tells me the little guy is around.. but man is he a good little hider. 
I prefer to free range as it really cuts down on the amount of feed I go through, I think I should have kept that little guy locked in the coop a few more days before testing his free range abilities with the other chickens. I fear the EE rooster (the more aggressive) may have chased him somewhere the little guy cant get back from, which is possible in my yard.. lots of big rocks and cliffs and stuff.


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## powderhogg01 (Jun 4, 2013)

if you can recall last year, I just about nixed the predator problem of my little town in the butt. Sure, I live at over 9,000 feet in the last town before hitting the continental divide. To say i got all the predators away from my house is ignorance, however I have not had an animal taken from my coop or yard since last summer.
to have no feathers or blood anywhere in the yard tells me the little guy is around.. but man is he a good little hider. 
I prefer to free range as it really cuts down on the amount of feed I go through, I think I should have kept that little guy locked in the coop a few more days before testing his free range abilities with the other chickens. I fear the EE rooster (the more aggressive) may have chased him somewhere the little guy cant get back from, which is possible in my yard.. lots of big rocks and cliffs and stuff.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

If they're flying off going on adventures on their own then you wouldn't see evidence of predator attack in your yard. 

I do get the thing about the feed, add in the extra cleaning and it is easier to let them free range. But I go back to what I said earlier, if its a problem then a choice needs to be made. You already suggested it. 

I didn't get that you had just gotten the new roo. There's no telling where he might be. Keeping the other males up might entice him to come back to where he knows other chickens are. I've done that in the past with success.


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## powderhogg01 (Jun 4, 2013)

so if I understand it right, you suggest putting all the chickens in the run? that possibly that will entice this guy to come back into the yard to be around the other birds. My yard is a bit overgrown in spots but I do not think there is an exit except up the cliff, which older birds have trouble with.
golly jee wilickers I hope this little tacker finds his way back into the yard.. I would hate to loose a rare bird before it even got to full size and maturity.. I feel guilty for knowing to keep him locked up but not doing it..


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Yes. I've done that several times when either one of mine decides it didn't want to follow the rules or I needed to catch some that didn't really belong to me. 

The first time, it was chickens left behind by someone that moved. The flock had gotten down to one hen. I kept mine up so it would be attracted to the coop. I put the feeder in the run. The next day I opened up and first thing she went in to have a snack. I was able to close the outside pen door before she could fly out. I did the same thing recently with a neighbor's three chicks. She did the full out no coop thing and one by one her birds disappeared. The three chicks started hanging out outside of my pen. I opened the door and after a few minutes all three went in. 

They want to be with their own kind so if they can hear them they will start moving towards the sound. Hopefully, you're little guy is near by and will return home.


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## powderhogg01 (Jun 4, 2013)

I have searched my yard, as well as the closest yards to mine, all of which have dogs.. none of which had any signs of birds. the lack of feather signs tells me this guy is alive.. somwhere.. I may need to break out the machete and tame the jungle that has become my back yard. I will put the flock in the coop now, and see what happens. my thinking is this lil bugger may just be hiding very well in one of the bushes, perhaps by closing the flock up he will feel safe to come out into the open, or if he did go for a walk.. (im not sure he was big enough to get out of the yard) perhaps he will return to the sounds of hens in the run
thanks robin, as always your a big help, if nothing else to calm my troubled mind


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

My suggestion? Leave the machete where it is. With your hatching problems he's liable to be in one of those patches hiding out. 

Don't ask me how I hit on that idea, I don't think I ever read of anyone doing it. I did it with my Guineas, my chickens and birds that were not part of my flock. Depending on where he is it might take a few days. Although it does bother me that you didn't find him outside of the coop when you went out in the morning. If he recognizes it as home he should have been out there. I know mine would be after going missing over night.


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## powderhogg01 (Jun 4, 2013)

I honestly was hoping he would turn up this morning, I put the flock in the run, shut the door. only time can tell now, hopefully the pile of food and the fresh water will be enough to lure him out of hiding. 
I will see if I can get some pictures of the yard uploaded.. there are just so many spots this lil tacker could be hiding, and honestly.. I have been meaning to tame the jungle for a while, It simply has not held priority over the rest of my huge list of to dos..


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Look at all of the rocks! Even if there wasn't a huge to do list, dealing with keeping over growth down with all of those laying around would make it a challenge. 

My word, I even see an anvil in one of the pics. LOL

Yes, its a concern that he was not there this morning. Even if the other boys drove him away he should have been willing to be close to home. Does anyone else within a mile have chickens?


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## powderhogg01 (Jun 4, 2013)

there are a few, but this lil clucker woul dhave to cross interstate 70 to get there, not to mention a hoard of loose dogs.. 
I had thought maybe he had gotten out and down into town, went and looked around.. no feather of any sort anywhere.. 
I do not think he got snagged by a dog.. there is really not too many places it could escape the yard from..
oh rocks.. my blight the literal scurge of my existence.. and I choose to live in the "rocky" mountains.. odd. yes there is an anvil there, the fire pit I have also acts as a forge, simple shop vac and well placed stove pipe.. its ideal for what I do.
I think I feel most upset that it was the rare bird that is missing, not many of this breed around, I feel guilty for allowing this situation all together, i just felt bad that he was stuck in a cage in the pen while the rest free ranged. Everything was good all day long, not until evening does he disappear. 
lesson learned.. hopefully he returns and its not an expensive lesson..


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Stupid question but I have to ask, have you torn the coop apart making sure he didn't take refuge in there some place?

When I saw the anvil my first thought was, farrier. Obvious that I had horses for my brain to go there. 

Rocky ground was one of our criteria for buying or not buying a piece of property. So many of my neighbors, loosely used term, lost electronics during t-storms because their homes were built on rock ledges. We were in an old creek bed on good soil and never had an issue.


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## powderhogg01 (Jun 4, 2013)

I am no ferrier, a simple minded artist. I like to make things from railroad spikes, and other random metals around the area. I also recycle aluminum and make sculptures with it. 
I have looked in the coop, under the coop, and all over. I guess I can give everything a second look, I feel if he was in the coop, the other birds would have chased him into the open at least once by now.. and he simply is no where to be found... 
the only place I could think it could go is possibly under one of the neighbors outbuildings, which I will check in a bit but doubt it. 
thanks for the ideas, I figure I will keep the flock in the pen for the next 2 days. After that, I feel I must cut my loses and let the flock return to normal..


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

At least you're giving it a shot. So many wouldn't bother. You sound about like some on here, obsessing, looking for some sort of an answer even if its not one you want.

We all make mistakes. As long as I'm walking and talking I'm sure I'll make at least one more.


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## powderhogg01 (Jun 4, 2013)

I feel that if I had another hedemora rooster I would likely not care as much.. but that was an integral part of my breeding plans, and I drove over 2 hours to get the bird.. 
I also like to learn and progress in everything I do, I have not lost any birds in a while to predators or disease. So when a bird goes missing with no signs of attack it makes me curious.I feel like the bird is in the yard somewhere.. there is just so much overgrown plan that I have no idea where it could be..
I might as well take the day and clean and clear a bit of the yard.. some things have been put off for too long
At over 50 bucks to replace.. this one bird is worth the obsession I think..


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

From my side it doesn't look like its because of a two hour drive or the fifty bucks, it appears more like you would rather have him home safe and sound and not being terrified in unfamiliar territory.


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## powderhogg01 (Jun 4, 2013)

I started the thinning process on the jungle I call a yard. it will be a slow process, as I have clearly let things get out of hand back there. I will say this, I have looked everywhere there is to look. I found a nest I did not know about with over 24 eggs in it.. all older very dirty eggs. I found a few random tools and lots of dead branches. 
I did notice that in my immediate neighbors yard, there looks like something of size visited near my fence.. as the tall grass is all pushed down. a clue perhaps, but with no feathers anywhere.. who knows. 
I keep positive that he could return, but expect very little.. I am now one bummed out mountain man


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I truly understand your desire to allow them freedom and to keep your feed bills down. But you have to consider value and where you want your breeding program to move to. If you continue to lose birds in your breeding program you will be at the starting line forever. 

Every breeder I know keeps the birds important to their breeding flock up. They have outside pens to visit but are not allowed to free range without supervision. The costs of replacements and the unknown genetics of a new breeding bird can set a breeding program back years. 

Since my Silkies could not free range I tried to make sure they had things to do. Like flakes of straw in their outside pens to dig around in.


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## powderhogg01 (Jun 4, 2013)

yeah, that is a good point. A possible clue as to what happened, the neighbor said that they saw a hawk circling over the house that evening.. I would expect some feather or something from a hawk attack, but who knows.. small enough chicken.. big enough hawk..


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## powderhogg01 (Jun 4, 2013)

all is well that ends well. I commissioned the local townspeople and after an exhaustive search, I am happy to announce the little guy is safe and sound. he was found beneath a deck a few houses down.

















he is now in the cage inside the run. I will need to think about where I want to go at this point.. as it would not be worth while to loose this guy again..


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I am so happy he's been found and that he's OK. And I'm surprised. He evidently got so fired up with the others after him, or a predator, that he just kept on running and got lost. 

Can you rig him up a larger pen inside the pen and give him a friend for company? Maybe if he becomes bonded to another he will be less likely to go off on adventures. 

I guess it depends on what you want to do. If you're going for pure bred heritage you were going to have to house them separately which would also mean no free ranging together. Which would mean additional housing and outside pens.


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## powderhogg01 (Jun 4, 2013)

I do not have the intentions of purebred heritage. My goal is to have a flock of heritage hens, which have aspects that I want. I have the intentions of building a breeding pen, when I can isolate a rooster and hen combo for a few weeks in order to get the hatch I want.
the only birds I would care about keeping pure is the hedemora, and only because I see them being very popular in the snowy area I tend to live.
my end goal is to have a cold hardy dual purpose breed that holds strong forage and free range abilities. I am hoping to get the english orpingtons that I got from jim to breed with this hedemora. I would love a big bodied bird that lays a bunch of eggs most of the winter without having to have a light on in the coop. I will likely keep the lighting cycle, simply because I like a variety in my yard and like to keep those eggs pumping.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Do you have any idea what will happen when bred with a soft feathered bird like an Orp? Purely curiosity in my question.

With Silkies to keep the Silkie feathers you have to have two Silkies. But from what I just read on the Hedemora breed, they're all over the map feather wise. And skin color wise. I'm beginning to wonder if Silkies weren't used some where in the past. Especially since they mentioned five toes.


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## powderhogg01 (Jun 4, 2013)

I do not. My breeding experience is strictly with lizards. leopard geckos to be exact. I am excited for the science experiment. I will be trying a bunch of different things for hatching and hope that my oldest hen might go broody at some point.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

In Silkies the gene for the feathering is recessive which is why it take two to keep the Silkie feathers. The black skin travels easily across breeds. The comb not so much. Five toes is hit or miss. 

So, if you breed him to one of your hens and the gene is recessive in Hedemoras you should be able to cross back one of the daughters to him and get the silkie feathers back in that next generation. That's if you feel like playing with the feathering. 

I'm having trouble with the breed Hedemora. When reading the description they sound like EE's. Not really EE's but how the EE breed came about.


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## powderhogg01 (Jun 4, 2013)

the thing that draws me to the hedemora is the down layer they retain into adulthood. The silkie feathers hide it, but if you look at one of different feather type, they have a thick layer of down. That is the gene I want. with dark skin and smaller combs. The hedemora have all the genes and once I have an incubation set-up that is working well I will start trying to hatch their eggs. The problem I have had is the only people shipping them are at low altitude. According to my research that alone could be a major factor for my hatching failures in the past..


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I saw that about the down layer. But here is where I'm confused: SPECIAL QUALITIES: Hedemora come three varieties: fine and puffy feathers that cover the body with Silkie type fur; feather legged with a good down layer under smooth feathers; and clean legged.

That description is written so that it looks like the feather legged, soft feathered is the one with the down.

Silkies when they are not broody or molting lay year round. They are pretty much done laying by about age 5. The more I read on that breed the more I suspect they've got Silkie genetics in the mix. Silkies too are a very cold hardy bird, not so great in the heat.


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