downsizing doesn't mean dumping your chickens in the bush

[ShanandGem]

I just learned there are two more hens in the area I caught this bunch. We tried to trap them today but they are spooky as can be. We'll go back as dark falls.
I agree about bringing in disease. This bunch is not housed with my other birds and while they are having a turn at free ranging daily, they aren't having any direct contact with my other chickens. Whatever they leave behind in the yard is no more a threat than what the multitude of wild birds around here are depositing too.

 

[ShanandGem]

My free 'bush chickens' have laid me three eggs today and are now exploring where the pool was.

 

[Adalida]

I'm trying to tell from the pics- you initially caught five, and then heard there were more. Are these all ones you rescued, or are some of them your original flock? Just curious if you were able to catch the other two who had been dumped.

 

[ShanandGem]

I have a total of seven that were dumped. All the chickens in the picture are ones I recovered. There may be one white hen remaining up there but she is elusive and I haven't been able to catch her so far.

 

[Adalida]

Awww, I'm glad you got the other two! I knew your last post before this said you were going back to try getting two more that were spooky, but I didn't want to ask if you had managed to catch them. Just in case you hadn't been able to go back. Glad you got them!

 

[Isaac 0]

Good job.We had a cat that was on the highway in a bag with all of her dead baby's luckily she survived and lived a long life

 

[ShanandGem]

They are fantastic layers of big brown eggs, the rooster is well mannered and they appear to be in perfect health. I just don't get it :-(

 

[Rach4]

Humans are very quick to forget we are animals too, it breaks my heart to hear. The amount of strays we have turn up at our house, it's almost like we have a vacancy sign out front for them! Our local town police, now know us as the local animal shelter. We have had domesticated and wildlife find sanctuary on our property and often I have to block out negative thoughts from the way they act or look. I have only ever owned 4chickens (one being a rooster) all of them were badly treated or dumped, and that goes for all the animals I have ever owned. All strays or rejected.

 

[CuckooOrpington]

The number of poultry and other pets dumped in the bush, on the side of the road and in other places is terrible - I have come across many stray chickens and guinea fowl over the years. Of course you could say that guinea fowl may have escaped (one buyer had a loose latch on his ute but that's another story) but chickens?

There is a pair of gamefowl that were dropped off at a dump (yes, a dump, like rubbish) and now 'live' there. At least the manager treats the stray chooks like 'pets' but to think about people who would abandon living animals is just sad. It isn't just chooks either... I've seen peafowl on highways and taken in sick hens found in random places, a guinea fowl also showed up and was like an uncle to our keets haha. But please if you can no longer keeping your peeps there is probably someone who will gladly add them to their flock. Thanks to ShanandGem for rescuing these birds and making a thread on the issue!

 

[lazy gardener]

Shan and Gem, if you have time on your hands, and want to make a final attempt, you might try putting one or two of your hens in a dog crate, and taking them to the side. Make an outer cage, perhaps out of some deer netting, so it is covered, and put some scratch around the crate. Perhaps your hens will call in the renegades, then you can corrall them with the deer netting.