To me they sound like 'your basic chickens' so I am not sure how useful it would be to rehome them and get new ones... you'd most likely end up with the same thing again.
Chickens just basically don't like being chased, which they sorta have to be to some extent because they are also not real avid about being loomed over or reached out to or picked up. If you were 14" tall and 'the original white meat' to pretty much the entire animal kingdom, you would probably feel the same
So I am not sure it's reasonable to expect that they won't try to run away. At least at this stage. Once they come into lay, you may find that looming over them from behind gets them thinking along, uh, other lines... and however it may or may not make you feel, they certainly are MUCH easier to pick up when they're squatting
There are definitely more and less productive ways to try to catch them, though. Perhaps it would be worth sort of 'working on your technique'? If you know someone who's really good with chickens maybe you could see what they do. Otherwise, just try different things and take mental notes.
For me what helps is:
-- don't try to catch them in a large area
-- pick one chicken as your target and stay with it - just totally ignore the others, even if they momentarily seem easier to grab
-- move slowly at all times except the very final 'catch' movement. Walk bent over, with your arms hanging down and use the position of your arms (slow, deliberate movements only) to gently 'herd' the target chicken, preferably towards a corner. Only apply as much 'pressure' as you can do without the chicken breaking out of a walk or slow trot.
-- eventually you will get the chicken in a corner, or against a wall, so that it is equally poised between the 'force' of your right arm and the 'force' of your left arm. Keep them exactly balanced as you slowly and relaxedly close in.
-- ideally you can keep the chicken in place there til you can just quickly reach down, gently push it against the floor, and get hold of its legs and body. Realistically you may find yourself going after it as it makes a break past you to one direction or the other, but oh well
I am SURE there are other and doubtless better ways to do it as well. OTOH I know for a fact that there are also worse ways
I try to give them something nice after I've picked them up, to leave them with a good feeling about the experience -- like tossing down a few particles of scratch or sunflower seeds.
Good luck,
Pat
Chickens just basically don't like being chased, which they sorta have to be to some extent because they are also not real avid about being loomed over or reached out to or picked up. If you were 14" tall and 'the original white meat' to pretty much the entire animal kingdom, you would probably feel the same
There are definitely more and less productive ways to try to catch them, though. Perhaps it would be worth sort of 'working on your technique'? If you know someone who's really good with chickens maybe you could see what they do. Otherwise, just try different things and take mental notes.
For me what helps is:
-- don't try to catch them in a large area
-- pick one chicken as your target and stay with it - just totally ignore the others, even if they momentarily seem easier to grab
-- move slowly at all times except the very final 'catch' movement. Walk bent over, with your arms hanging down and use the position of your arms (slow, deliberate movements only) to gently 'herd' the target chicken, preferably towards a corner. Only apply as much 'pressure' as you can do without the chicken breaking out of a walk or slow trot.
-- eventually you will get the chicken in a corner, or against a wall, so that it is equally poised between the 'force' of your right arm and the 'force' of your left arm. Keep them exactly balanced as you slowly and relaxedly close in.
-- ideally you can keep the chicken in place there til you can just quickly reach down, gently push it against the floor, and get hold of its legs and body. Realistically you may find yourself going after it as it makes a break past you to one direction or the other, but oh well
I am SURE there are other and doubtless better ways to do it as well. OTOH I know for a fact that there are also worse ways
I try to give them something nice after I've picked them up, to leave them with a good feeling about the experience -- like tossing down a few particles of scratch or sunflower seeds.
Good luck,
Pat