Catching freerange peas

[chicknmania]

We need to catch our free range peahen Princess. She has contracted a bacterial infection that has been slowly going through our flock. So far it has not been bad and all have been cured with antibiotcs, but we need to catch her. She is smart and will not be lured into a pen, or let us get close enough to catch her. She roosts high in the rafters of our barn, and I think someone would get killed trying to go up there to catch her at night. She is not very sick, but we can't afford to lose her. Our other peahen, Sweetpea, has dissapeared. I just noticed yesterday that she had contracted the infection also, but I think she was much sicker, she is very shy and stays away from people, so it took longer for me to notice her. I was going to try to catch her last night, but she is gone. I am so sad and Princess is too. Sweetpea is her best friend and she is stressing about where she is.

So does anyone have a good way to catch a free range peafowl?

 

[new 2 pfowl]

Not sure if this will help, but I got some good advice in this thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/675407/what-should-i-use-to-wash-out-his-eye

 

[Desert Springs]

Maybe you can teach her to eat inside an enclosure. I taught my 4 to roost inside a large out-building in the evening. Whenever I need to look at them closer I wait until night time, and unfortunately have to basically tackle... gently but firmly. Hopefully she'll work with you!! Good luck!!

 

[chicknmania]

Maybe you can teach her to eat inside an enclosure. I taught my 4 to roost inside a large out-building in the evening. Whenever I need to look at them closer I wait until night time, and unfortunately have to basically tackle... gently but firmly. Hopefully she'll work with you!! Good luck!!

I thought of that, we tried tossing treats into the large poultry tractor we have in the barn, but no dice. Princess would not go in, and Sweettpea simply follows her cues. I tried leaving the door open and going away. Came back and found one of the PEACOCKS inside, perched on the perch in there! Boys are dumb, I guess, cause the girls wouldn't have anytning to do with going in there! I

If I can get a couple of my family members to help, we can probably catch her via the tackle, pin, and net method..maybe. But I have to wait for the weekend for extra help..

 

[chicknmania]

Not sure if this will help, but I got some good advice in this thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/675407/what-should-i-use-to-wash-out-his-eye

Thank you, there's some good advice in there, hopefully it will work for us. I wish I had one of those guns that the zoo has, you fire it and the net flies out the end. You can conceal the gun in something. The problem with nets is, our flock knows fully well what the nets mean, and they will start sounding the alarm as soon as they see one of us with one, or evenif we head towards where they're stored and it looks like we might get one...:/ Likewise, they also know what blankets and towels are for....sighhhhh...whoever came up with the phrase "bird brain", never had poultry....

Ours stay in a barn at night but it is big, so there's still ample room for them to run and/ or fly.

 

[Desert Springs]

I'm hoping you have better luck when you have some help. Yes, poultry definitely do not fit in the 'bird brain' category!

 

[chicknmania]

haha thank you. I ordered a piece of used fishing net today, what they use on fishing boats., I talked to the supplier about what I wanted it for, and they helped me select the right size and weight.
Or what we think will be right anyway. I figured we might be able to use it sort of like a cast net, and it it's too light, I can weight it with rope around the edges or something.
I thought it might work better than a blanket and be easier to conceal, carry, and throw.. It was cheap and if it works, wlll be worth it.

 

[Squeaky McMurdo]

When I volunteered at a zoo, if we wanted to catch a peafowl, we waited until they roosted in the rafters of the barn at night and took two large nets on poles and sandwiched them together over the sleeping bird. It would end up in one of the nets.

 

[zazouse]

When I volunteered at a zoo, if we wanted to catch a peafowl, we waited until they roosted in the rafters of the barn at night and took two large nets on poles and sandwiched them together over the sleeping bird. It would end up in one of the nets.

 

[Desert Springs]

Squeaky, great idea!!!