Help! Escaped chicken!

[Tiffy316]

A few days ago, one of my hens got loose and has been very evasive. She's very skittish and runs off as soon as she sees me. I've tried baiting a live animal trap with chicken food to catch her, but the only thing I've caught so far is a raccoon. She still comes around the barn to look for food, but runs off to the pasture to hide as soon as she sees me coming. How can I catch such a skittish little hen?

 

[Sally PB]

A long handled fishing net will give you a lot more reach, in case you can get close enough.

Chickens are not very active in the dark, so if you go out with a flashlight -- a head lamp is even better, since your hands will be free -- you might find her. Chickens will often roost in trees, so look up too.

 

[wrathsfarm]

A long handled fishing net will give you a lot more reach, in case you can get close enough.

Chickens are not very active in the dark, so if you go out with a flashlight -- a head lamp is even better, since your hands will be free -- you might find her. Chickens will often roost in trees, so look up too.

This.... Plus if you can watch her from a distance at dusk you'll see where she goes.
Also, dispatch the coon, rinse and repeat.

Good luck.

 

[Tiffy316]

A long handled fishing net will give you a lot more reach, in case you can get close enough.

Chickens are not very active in the dark, so if you go out with a flashlight -- a head lamp is even better, since your hands will be free -- you might find her. Chickens will often roost in trees, so look up too.

I'll try looking around in the dark, but the problem is that I don't know where she's hiding. I live on 10 acres in the country and there's a lot of tall grass.

 

[Tiffy316]

This.... Plus if you can watch her from a distance at dusk you'll see where she goes.
Also, dispatch the coon, rinse and repeat.

Good luck.

I'll try keeping a distance and see if I can figure out where she's roosting. The raccoon managed to get loose while I was moving the trap, so I'll have to hope it falls for it again.

 

[Sally PB]

When I catch a raccoon in a live trap, it does not leave the trap alive.

I've had good luck with marshmallows and peanut butter as bait for raccoons. Be sure to put the bait where they can't reach it through the bars of the trap. If they can reach it, they'll just pull it to the side, scoop it out, and eat it off their paws.

 

[Tiffy316]

When I catch a raccoon in a live trap, it does not leave the trap alive.

I've had good luck with marshmallows and peanut butter as bait for raccoons. Be sure to put the bait where they can't reach it through the bars of the trap. If they can reach it, they'll just pull it to the side, scoop it out, and eat it off their paws.

Well, hopefully the trap has already worked. I'll try the marshmallows if it doesn't.