To Catch a Chicken

[Floridachicks3403]

Folks, I have a coop and an enclosed run. My chickens don't free range. Are there any secrets to catching chickens so that you can check them out, apply medicine, etc. without causing them too much stress? Out of my batch of chickens, most will come by and allow you to pick them up, etc., but I have two who are very shy and hard to catch. Thanks in advance.

Catch them first thing when they get on the roost at night. Have a light and your supplies ready.

 

[Cryss]

I put in a t-post with a gate and some fence to make a small cage in the corner of my run. I leave the gate open until I need to herd a bird in, when I do I get them in the "catching cage" and pick them up. With the cage open, almost all the time, it's one of their favorite places to dust bathe. I also lined the "cage" with shade cloth and it seems to make them feel secure. I only use it for health issues or new birds I need to catch and introduce to the coop. Works for me.

I'd love to see this cage. Sounds like a really good idea.

 

[bil&sal]

I use big fishing net with long handle

 

[keltown]

Folks, I have a coop and an enclosed run. My chickens don't free range. Are there any secrets to catching chickens so that you can check them out, apply medicine, etc. without causing them too much stress? Out of my batch of chickens, most will come by and allow you to pick them up, etc., but I have two who are very shy and hard to catch. Thanks in advance.

 

[keltown]

If you can access them off the perch wait til they go in to roost and pull them off then.

 

[Shanny123]

Catch and examine them at night when they are roosting for least amount of stress.

Thank you, I too have been wondering about that.

 

[Shanny123]

Like I said, I'm going to keep working on getting them to let me pick them up. I already do the 'in the dark' thing with very low light, but the roo crows all night long anyway and he raises a ruckus at the least little thing. They all come close for treats, but none will let me even put my hand over them to stroke, much less pick up. I assume we'll get there in time. As for the roo, with scaly leg mites, I think I may just butcher him this fall when the young cockerels mature. I have 2 and 1 pullet, 9 weeks old. Roo is the daddy and is a very good rooster for the girls but I'm thinking, if I can get one of the young ones to come to me easily, then I'll get rid of the elder and keep the younger. The bigs still chase off the young ones, so I need to let the bigs out of the pen so I can work with the littles. I have several problems in doing all of this--I work full time, my DH is disabled and needs care before I leave in the morning and once I get home in the evening, and I have vision issues as well as autism spectrum issues (mainly with noises and flapping, just gets me rattled, so I take longer that usual to do anything since I have to wait for everything to be calm before I proceed). Add my age to that and I'm doing good to keep chickens at all. Although I'm seriously thinking to give them up.

Hi, thanks for sharing with us about your chickens. We don't have a rooster. I didn't want the bother. My brother years ago had chickens and a big rooster he named Big Boy. Well Big Boy cornered my 5 year old son in the back yard and my son was crying up a storm because he was literally trapped in a corner where 2 fences met..and when he tried to get away, he'd go one way and the rooster would lean that way and try to jump on him, and he'd go back to the corner. Then he'd try the other way and same thing. So when I heard him crying and ran outside to see what was going on, the rooster was agressive toward me.. he squatted like he was going to jump on me. I didn't hesitate because that was my baby, I picked up a tree branch that was laying on the ground and went toward that roo waving it at him with all my Mama angst, and he walked away and I got my son safely inside. Needless to say we were happy to be invited for chicken dinner the very next Sunday. Sorry you think you may need to get rid of your chickens. They can be a bit of work, that's for sure. But on days when I don't feel too great, seeing them free ranging cheers me up. You need to do whatever is best for you! Take care.

 

[ellend]

To get errant chickens back to the coop, I hold a long handled pond net in each hand, using them as arm extensions to herd them in the appropriate direction. They hate nets, so they keep moving..... My neighbors already know I'm "eccentric," so no futher loss of face...

 

[Cryss]

@trudyg have you considered a ladies only flock? Much more peaceful without noisy and/or aggressive males. It might relieve some of the stress for you and let you keep chickens.

 

[auntsuzie1946]

Folks, I have a coop and an enclosed run. My chickens don't free range. Are there any secrets to catching chickens so that you can check them out, apply medicine, etc. without causing them too much stress? Out of my batch of chickens, most will come by and allow you to pick them up, etc., but I have two who are very shy and hard to catch. Thanks in advance.

I "crate trained" mine! I have small wire crate that has a front door and a door on top of the crate. I sprinkled meal worms in it and left the door open. They had no issues going in and out. After doing that for several days, I would quietly close the front door for a minute or two. After doing that for a couple days, I would then close the front door and reach in through the top and pick them up individually. This does take a bit of time but all positive reinforcement does. I now have chickens want to be picked up! Good luck. I found this method non-stressful for the birds plus I go to bed when they do at night and did not want to wait till they were roosting to pull them off