Catching a Chicken

[Sunny Side Up]

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Especially when I'm collecting candidates for the next day's butchering. I always catch them the night before and keep them in a cage with only water, no food, not even access to grass under the cage. That way their crops & intestines are clear when they're being cleaned out.

 

[banks]

I am just plain jealous

I wish I had the means to do a lot that I seen on BYC.

 

[darkmatter]

Quote:
If you had a period in your life when you were poor, you learn to make do or do without. I grew up with a farming attitude with people from the last great depression. I had a Uncle who had a field wagon that the wheel broke on it and put a skid like a ski board in its place and used that for years. I have a 1952 Ford 8N tractor that has been repaired so many times in so many ways. Thanks to the internet, you can do most anything for very little now-a-days,----------I've been doing it so long now, I can make anything with nothing.

 

[Liamm_1]

This thread is cool! Catching the chicken seems easy, especially off the roost at night. My issue is: I've never butchered an animal. And I've got 4 (I think) delicious free range roosters about to start crowing. I'm trying to talk myself into having the nerve to kill them and clean them. My wife said she'll clean them (she's done that), as long as I kill them lol

 

[zazouse]

I throw down some corn at my feet and Wait for the one i want, then just when they are within reach and put their head down to eat in the crowd, i reach down and snatch them up by their feet.

It's also easy to catch them if they are up on something, i distract them with one hand and grab them by their feet with the other.

I have processed 72 roo's in the last 7 days and i did not chase a one of them down for processing.

 

[Ibicella]

I pick them off the roost the night before and put them in a cage. Then the next day I can give them non-urgent care or butcher.

If I absolutely have to catch one immediately, I use a net.

 

[marymac]

Well the deed is done. I found an old fishing dip net and it worked pretty well, but dang them roosters were yelling a lot. Scared and that's what I hate, but I'm relieved it's over. I can't imagine butchering 72 roos, that would be a job.

 

[rockstar]

You can herd chicken somewhat. That's what we did. Get them in a tight spot and just swoop down on them with both hands catching them around the wings. They don't fuss hardly at all if you do it right. Push their body to the ground so they are sitting, run your hand up under their feet and hold the feet tight to the body. Then I just put them under my arm, with their head facing my back. You can carry them around like this anywhere and they are quiet. When the time to put them in the killing cone comes, I just slide them upside down and hold them by their feet. Drop them in head first quickly so the head comes out the bottom. They don't protest and are very quite. Makes for a much easier experience for all this way.

 

[mburpo]

Easy way for me for the stand offish ones is to throw some scratch at my feet then snatch it up.

 

[GarlicEater]

I've been using a net that's a salmon landing net. Not too good, the holes are too big and the chickens can get all kinds of stuff caught like combs, etc. And they're scared to death of the thing.

I'd been planning to make a second net (the salmon landing net occasionally comes into use to catch non-chicken critters) out of mesh laundry bag material.

But I remembered those hooks, and just read up on 'em. I want one. Those ones that are $7.95 online, I'd recommend almost anyone to pony up and order TWO.

In my case, I doubt I can build one cheaper, but we have a lot of scrap metal around here and handles etc so I'm going to try. Mainly because I want to try making a shorter one, maybe 3 feet instead of 4.