Just an OT's take on handling and carrying birds for one reason or another from one to place to another.
I don't like to chase them nor do I play little smootchy games to get them to come. In most of my pens I can just reach down and grab them after a minor fuss on their part, if after the first miss I grab anything on that chicken to catch them. I have carried 3 or 4 chickens in each hand upside down more times than I care to mention, all without a fuss from the chicken or me. I know the chicken will be just fine and none the worst for wear, so whatever the bird is thinking and what it's FEELINGS !!! are make no never mind. They get handled for a reason and that is to get them from one place to another or to perform a task on it, so handling needs to be quick, easy and without fanfare. If by chance a few feathers come off........Oh well........... yes they will squawk like all get out..... OK ... soooo, they are fine they will be fine and the job get's done. You will never have a problem if you handle the more firmly with purpose so they don't flail about as opposed to a more gentle approach where they feel that if they struggle they can escape and start the fiasco again.
Some of my pen's are bigger.... allot bigger with more birds, here the tool of choice is either a long handled fishing net or my favorite the chickens catching hook stick. The whole flock is flying around making all kinds of racket, it's what they do and it's natural, the easier on me the better, Go in catch 5 or 6 birds while holding the others upside down by their leg's cause they are calmer and I can carry more at a time that way. They have never had to visit a therapist because they felt upset over the P.C. offensive handling, once you puy them back in their new spot they forget about it in about 45 miliseconds. I have on many occasions at auctions or any place where handling allot of birds quickly is a must, have been approached by some lady who say's she thinks it's so mean to handle birds that way, or why aren't you more gentle with them. Sometimes I will say something that will tame her down, but mostly I just roll my eyes into the back of my head and move on, they allways understand the eye roll thing, they invented it LOL.
Transport cage space................. There is absolutely nothing wrong with putting more than one bird in a cage, give it some space but don't over do it there is no need to have a huge big bulky cage or carrier with just one or two birds in it. Sometimes it may get a little cramped depending but hey.......... they will be fine. All I am trying to say here is there isn't a need to be overly sensitive to the chickens mental state when trying to do your chores with them, if you do it right everybody win's no fuss no muss.
AL
