Anyone have luck catching a feral chicken?? UPDATE: Rooster caught, no hen

[21hens-incharge]

View attachment 1177530 Wouldn't this be cute with a CHICKEN IN IT?????

OMG! thank goodness they said it is "breathable"!

 

[Smuvers Farm]

Honestly I think your risk is reasonably low.
Yes they are not in the best conditions, yes you feel bad for them, yes there IS a risk to it. I think there are lots of perhaps overly cautious people. Yes there are bad experiences sometimes when people bring in birds but that is usually bringing in from overcrowded situations with people that switch birds a lot.

In your case we are looking at 6 birds that are similar ages which tells me they are not bringing in strange birds from everywhere and increasing their own risk.

In the end if they look sick I would pass but if they seem healthy I would likely get them.

This was pretty much my end thought as well.... they looked in good condition, although one brown one looked either picked on or in molt...... either is possible as the weather is prime for molting, and them being in such a small space would bring about picking on a lower hen in the chain.

 

[staceyj]

That's too far for me.. but wouldn't that be an awesome service? Like expert coop builders? Kinda like Habitat for humanity, but for chickens.


I tried watching that show and it was kind of sad. I didn't get through it all. I guess I like my chickening to be a little more personal than 10k chickens bred in pursuit of the 'perfect' specimen. I like to think that the people who were on that show were the extreme end of the chicken people spectrum.


Good planning will go a long way. Do you already know what you're going to do? Have all the supplies ready so you don't have to run out to get stuff 1/2 way in (which is how I do it and doesn't work well at all)?


A girl I went to school w/ met her husband on a farmers dating site. They really seem to have a lot in common, so I guess it works. Probably a lot better than other sites where it's kinda obvious what they're lookin' for.

I found "Chicken People" weirdly fascinating. It IS the extreme of people who do just that, in the pursuit of perfection. I get showing and competition and stuff and while that's fine if that's what floats your boat that's fine, it's just not for me. Im perfectly happy with my little gang and all their imperfections. I love them for who they are.
Plus there's no way I could cull in those numbers just because they weren't exactly perfect.
Besides, not everyone gets to sit on their porch swing having a glass of wine before dinner with a batch of spoiled, tame perfectly imperfect chickens just patiently waiting in line for a turn at sitting on your lap.
Am I right?


Edited to note this was yesterday l

 

[staceyj]

OMG! thank goodness they said it is "breathable"!

hahaha. My daughter wants to buy one for her boyfriend's kitten.
I told her he'll probably pee in it and it'll run all down the back of one of them.

 

[Sassysouth]

View attachment 1177530 Wouldn't this be cute with a CHICKEN IN IT?????

Hahaha! Absolutely! I love it!!

 

[Sassysouth]

I found "Chicken People" weirdly fascinating. It IS the extreme of people who do just that, in the pursuit of perfection. I get showing and competition and stuff and while that's fine if that's what floats your boat that's fine, it's just not for me. Im perfectly happy with my little gang and all their imperfections. I love them for who they are.
Plus there's no way I could cull in those numbers just because they weren't exactly perfect.
Besides, not everyone gets to sit on their porch swing having a glass of wine before dinner with a batch of spoiled, tame perfectly imperfect chickens just patiently waiting in line for a turn at sitting on your lap.
Am I right?
View attachment 1177551 View attachment 1177552

Edited to note this was yesterday l

I love it!!! I wish my chickens could range around. They would last 1 day with all our hawks. Every time I let Sesame out, they hover over within 30 minutes.

 

[staceyj]

h

Hey now!!!! Don't forget us up here in Ohio! We need love too!

And I'm at the almost bottom of eastern NC only a couple of miles from the ocean as the crow flies.

 

[cottontail farm]

We did not sterilize ourselves at all..... although we were stomping all over their area....

We didn't touch any of the birds... but you're right... the rooster had been running all over there...... we don't go near our chickens unless we're in muckies, but wore the same clothing into their run..... so... :::shrug:::

The pile of sawdust is sitting pretty much between where the NEW ladies would go and where our coops and run are currently.

The *feeding anothers birds while they molt* doesn't bother us... or their age either...... they wouldn't end up being PET birds... but productive members of our flock... one way or another yanno? I'm just now anxious about possibly killing MY flock by bringing them here.... yeeeesh.

Ok, I read the responses on that other thread and just wanted to come over here to say I do stuff like this all the time with no ill effects. I mean, my word. If I had a show quality closed flock it might be different but sheesh.
There is nothing wrong with trying it if that's what you want to do.

 

[apryl29]

hahaha. My daughter wants to buy one for her boyfriend's kitten.
I told her he'll probably pee in it and it'll run all down the back of one of them.

Or worse... poop in it.

 

[Parront]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/upcycled-swing-set-to-chicken-coop.72964/

Wow! Delux coop!

View attachment 1177307
You 3 win the prize for Best Chicken Halloween story ever!!

It was Halloween! But, Jerome is near here, and is really a ghost town! http://ghosttowns.com/states/az/jerome.html