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RichZ
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Reged: 09/12/02
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Posts: 558
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Loc: Cambridge, New York in beautiful Washington County, next to Vermont
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Ghost Chicken
09/02/03 08:55 AM
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We started off our flock of chickens with a half dozen each, of various breeds, to see which were the best layers, and which had the best temperment. We found that the White Rocks and Rhode Island Reds, stood their ground against danger more than most. Consequently, we had only two of each left.
A few weeks ago, one of the 2 White Rocks left, didn't return to the hen house at night to roost with the others. But she always greeted me first thing in the morning when I went to the barn. I couldn't find where she was roosting at night, and I knew that she wouldn't last long on her own at night with all the coyotes that we have around. Sure enough, suddenly she stopped showing up at all, and I thought a coyote got her.
Suddenly, yesterday, my wife noticed that there were two White Rocks running around in the paddock. One was clean, and one was almost covered in mud. I realized the muddy one was the missing one. I picked her up, and was shocked that she literally stunk!!! She smelled like something rotting!!! I quickly put her down, and couldn't figure out if she had fallen into something rotting, or if her breast feathers were actually rotting. We watched her desperately trying to clean herself off all afternoon. We wondered where she could have been for two weeks!!!
Last night, when I went to close up the hen house, she was gone again!!! I searched all the barns, and everyplace I could think of!! No sign of her. I wonder if we'll see her again, and where she goes to!!
Anyone else ever have a situation like that??
Rich
"What a long strange trip it's been."
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gsganzer
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Silver Member
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Reged: 07/31/03
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Posts: 196
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Loc: Denton, TX
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Re: Ghost Chicken
[re: RichZ]
09/02/03 02:07 PM
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I had some coyotes get all of my ducks (3) and one rooster. They didn't get the remaining 2 hens. Then I discovered why... It seems the hens found the safest place to roost, in my dogs kennel. My dogs a bird hunter and I'm sure it drives him crazy. I ended up putting a rail across the corner so they can at least roost up out of the dogs reach. I can't believe the dog leaves them alone. At least the coyotes don't bother them.
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chrisjbell
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Gold Member
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Reged: 02/28/03
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Posts: 285
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Loc: Sierra Foothills, Northern California
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Re: Ghost Chicken
[re: RichZ]
09/02/03 10:53 PM
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Brings to mind a recent experience....
A neighbor's dog got one of our chickens. I had thought that the dog had gotten two, because I couldn't find one of 'em. But I was outside, head down, wishing that it hadn't happened when the missing chicken appeared. It was hiding between the mower deck and body of my lawn tractor. I've got no idea how it squeezed in there, but it did (I expect it was hiding for it's life at the time  ).
Them things are pretty dumb, but find the strangest places to hang out  ...
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Jonathan
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Reged: 01/19/03
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Posts: 34
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Loc: Sloughhouse, California
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Rich, it sounds like you had the chicken trained to roost in the hen house, making me wonder why a chicken would roost else where? Maybe she was broody? Lost? Or maybe something scared her out of the coop? I'm asking partially as I'm hoping my hens use the nests I've provided them when they get broody. They seem to like them well enough for laying.
-Jonathan
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Stoneheartfarm
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Loc: West Central Michigan
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Re: Ghost Chicken
[re: RichZ]
09/04/03 10:19 AM
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Start thinking of stinky places where she could be roosting. Maybe near some roadkill? Septic?
Steve
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RichZ
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Veteran Member
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Reged: 09/12/02
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Posts: 558
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Loc: Cambridge, New York in beautiful Washington County, next to Vermont
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Re: Ghost Chicken
[re: Jonathan]
09/04/03 11:07 AM
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I have a hen house with 12 nesting boxes, but the chickens only go in the nesting boxes to lay eggs. And some of them lay eggs in other places, like between hay bales in the barn, so I have to check all over all my barns every night. Every once in a while a find a pile of eggs in a new spot, and I can't use those eggs, since I don't know how old they are. Then the chickens get a treat, and I break them open and give them to the chickens. They love their own eggs, but luckily, they won't break them open themselves.
Again, every once in a while a chicken will disappear at night. I figure that she went broody for a while. Usually I find their hiding spot, and bring them back to the henhouse, and they stop. This one is hiding someplace pretty good, because my wife and I haven't found her spot. And she completely disappearred for over 2 weeks. Now she's back with the other chickens during the day, and disappears sometime in late afternoon. If we could watch for her disappearring act, we'd find the spot, but so far no luck.
The whole thing is pretty wierd!!
Rich
"What a long strange trip it's been."
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RichZ
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Veteran Member
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Reged: 09/12/02
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Posts: 558
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Loc: Cambridge, New York in beautiful Washington County, next to Vermont
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I thought of that, Steve. Our septic system is well underground with no leaks. Maybe she spends the night sitting on rotting eggs. That's the only thing I can think of.
Rich
"What a long strange trip it's been."
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LazyJ_Arabians
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Gold Member
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Reged: 09/16/02
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Loc: Central Arkansas
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Re: Ghost Chicken
[re: RichZ]
09/04/03 11:39 AM
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Reminds me of a funny.. when we first bought the farm it came with at least 30 of some type of wild gamebird chickens. They roosted in an oak overhanging the driveaway and judging from the morning racket they were all roosters. The first weekend my boss and his wife came visiting late in the evening driving his immaculate white '62 Cadillac ragtop and wearing his white Stetson. I came sprinting out of the backyard screaming for him to pull on up out from under that boobytrap tree. He sees me and lays on the horn. We got the car cleaned up but his hat was hopelessly stained and his wife still carries emotional scars.
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chrisjbell
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Gold Member
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Reged: 02/28/03
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Posts: 285
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Loc: Sierra Foothills, Northern California
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We got the car cleaned up but his hat was hopelessly stained and his wife still carries emotional scars.
I liked that one  . Bet he lays off the horn in the future... 
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Re: Ghost Chicken
[re: RichZ]
01/12/04 06:44 AM
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I have a story that I know you will not believe. I had exactly 10 Barred Rocks, 15 Rhode Islands and 7 Golden Wyandottes. I went out one day to clean their hen house and found to my surprise I had 16 RIR and one RIR Cock!
Nobody in my neighbourhood confessed to giving me any, although I am known to take any animals that are unneeded or unwanted. I think that is what happened, but do not know. perhaps the Cock and extra Hen wandered from an adjacent farm, but none around me lost any. Perplexing.
God Bless,
Fr. Eoin
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RichZ
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Veteran Member
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Reged: 09/12/02
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Posts: 558
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Loc: Cambridge, New York in beautiful Washington County, next to Vermont
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I's be happy to get a bunch of free hens, if they were layers. Unfortunately the only free chickens I got were 6 chicks that all turned out to be roosters!!!
Rich
"What a long strange trip it's been."
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Farmyid
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New Member
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Reged: 11/02/03
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Loc: Western Mass
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Re: Ghost Chicken
[re: RichZ]
01/12/04 07:49 PM
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Don't have a privy by any chance? :-) Mark
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chrisjbell
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Gold Member
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Reged: 02/28/03
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Loc: Sierra Foothills, Northern California
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Re: Ghost Chicken
[re: RichZ]
01/28/04 07:13 PM
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Unfortunately the only free chickens I got were 6 chicks that all turned out to be roosters!!!
I hear you there - we had 6 chickens, "sexed" by the guy at the feed store. A neighbor's dog killed one and because my daughter was completely distraught we got two more chicks that were professionally sexed. My neighbors "compensated" us with three chickens.
Turned out that we had three roosters in the first bunch, then two roosters in the "compensation" bunch. We now have 10 chickens, of which five are roosters and only two of the five hens are old enough to lay... 
Lately I've been hoping that the roosters decide to even things out a bit between them ...
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