Catching those that "know"

[GatsbysGirl]

I have 3 roosters. I would like to get down to 2 roosters, possibly 1. My head rooster and the guy who will stay (my avatar) is happy, outgoing, friendly, talkative. The other 2 were raised exactly the same. The low man on my totem pole is not friendly at all. I can't touch him, get close to him, the middle one is so so. I swear though the little one knows he is destined for the freezer.

How do you catch a bird who doesn't want to be caught without freaking the whole coop out? Do I just wait for dawn and get him while he is roosting? I can handle the rest of my birds fine while they are roosting but he still throws a fit. I'm tired of feeding him, he has no purpose in my flock.

Suggestions from those much wiser than I?

 

[texas hiker]

How do you catch a bird who doesn't want to be caught without freaking the whole coop out?

Go into the coop at night.

 

[GatsbysGirl]

Go into the coop at night.

What I worry about there is I have to butcher that night. I generally do not have a lot of free time in the evenings. I guess it might not be so bad now that they are roosting at 4pm.

 

[donrae]

Another vote for taking him off the roost. Either late or early, doesn't matter except you have to be very early, before dawn, to catch them still asleep. If he's still mean take a bath towel and toss over him to secure his head and wing, then you can just hold his legs.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Borrow a dog box, a travel box, if you don't have a cage of some kind. Pick him off the roost. Very, very low light, don't wake up the flock. Know in advance where he usually sleeps. Easy as pie. Stick him in the crate and process him the next day, at your convenience. Then? Hose out the dog box before you return it.

 

[dreamcatcherarabians]

Borrow a dog box, a travel box, if you don't have a cage of some kind. Pick him off the roost. Very, very low light, don't wake up the flock. Know in advance where he usually sleeps. Easy as pie. Stick him in the crate and process him the next day, at your convenience. Then? Hose out the dog box before you return it.

This^^^^^^^. Works like a champ!