How To Catch A Chicken

[jadams83]

My chickens and ducks free range for the most part. They are put in a coop at night. I use a fishing net to catch them but sometimes that doesn't always help. Anyone have any suggestions for it to be a bit easier? Thanks

 

[Beekissed]

My chickens and ducks free range for the most part. They are put in a coop at night. I use a fishing net to catch them but sometimes that doesn't always help. Anyone have any suggestions for it to be a bit easier? Thanks

Wait until after dark, don't turn on the light in the coop but take a flashlight. They are easily plucked from the floor or the roost after darkness falls.

 

[ALJhappychicken]

Since I held our chickens a lot when they were chicks, they all (except the unsocial leghorns) come to the gate. The social birds for the most part let me just hold them without a chase. If your birds aren't like mine, softly walking up to them and grabbing them might work. Or, if they walk past you, snag them quickly. Hope that helps!

 

[AtHomeOnThRange]

Since I held our chickens a lot when they were chicks, they all (except the unsocial leghorns) come to the gate. The social birds for the most part let me just hold them without a chase. If your birds aren't like mine, softly walking up to them and grabbing them might work. Or, if they walk past you, snag them quickly. Hope that helps!

Yeah...I'm really regretting not training my chicks to be handled. I guess I'll have to go with the fishing net and hope it works. Full length leather gloves will also be a necessity.

 

[lazy gardener]

If you give them a little treat on the floor of their coop every evening when you go out to put them to bed, they'll come to expect it and be climbing all over themselves to get into that coop. I've started putting my flock to bed well before dusk. I get busy inside in the evening, and otherwise, may not get back outside until I may need a flashlight. My flock is fed in the morning, and again, mid-afternoon. So, they're ready for a bit more food in the evening. If you give them access to feed 24/7, this might not work for you. But, I purposefully only give them one meal at a time. It makes it much easier to manage them. It also makes my flock space less attractive to rodents. Very rarely, is it necessary for me to catch a single bird.

 

[AtHomeOnThRange]

If you give them a little treat on the floor of their coop every evening when you go out to put them to bed, they'll come to expect it and be climbing all over themselves to get into that coop. I've started putting my flock to bed well before dusk. I get busy inside in the evening, and otherwise, may not get back outside until I may need a flashlight. My flock is fed in the morning, and again, mid-afternoon. So, they're ready for a bit more food in the evening. If you give them access to feed 24/7, this might not work for you. But, I purposefully only give them one meal at a time. It makes it much easier to manage them. It also makes my flock space less attractive to rodents. Very rarely, is it necessary for me to catch a single bird.

Getting the chickens to bed is not the problem. Catching them to cull or sell off, well that's another kettle of fish...

 

[Bean789]

It's pretty bad when the rooster you're trying to catch, who is also skittish, decides to jump on your head to get away from you. At least he stayed there and didn't poop while I slowly walked to the coop looking like a rural Chiquita Banana girl.

Anymore I just get two big sticks (more long than thick) and herd them, get the dog to herd them or call 'here chick'. The only problem with 'here chick' is that the dumb guineas come and not the chickens. Absolutely backwards at my farm. It's like slapstick every day.

Just reading some aged threads on catching chickens. Yours was exceptionally funny with he rooster on the head.

I too have guineas who come when I call the chickens......sometimes the chickens come too.

 

[MyPaperMoon512]

Mine are the same way. One you can approach and she squats down and you can pick her up with ease. The other one , not so much. Which is kind of funny. She used to jump up on my lap and get treats, but since she molted and wouldn't allow anyone to touch her, she won't let me near her. I need to pick her up because she has a fungal infection on her comb and I need to medicate it, and it looks like a circus. She runs and I chase her. It's usually chickens 1 - Becky 0. I tried once at night to get her out of the coop and do it, but I had to use a light, which woke them up and chaos ensued. I refuse to stress either one of us out, but I think I'm going to have to try the night time approach again. Since we have gotten the medication on her comb it looks so much better, but I know it needs to be medicated a while longer. If the neighbors see me they'll think we're having a circus.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

This is one of the reasons I love my Silkies and Sizzles. I have a hard time walking through the run without stepping on them, or them trying to sit on my boots. But I certainly don't have a hard time catching them

 

[trudyg]

I got one of those hooks that they sell, but the bird always flutters out, then they all know I'm after them and it's game over. I used a bit of fencing to cordon off a small area, then threw in some treats. Of course, all the girls went in and the boys--my targets--didn't. Finally got the boys in there and then they flew over the top. It's 5 feet high! So, my next plan is to make the area smaller and maybe they won't be able to fly out. I had one that practically clawed his way up the wire and over the top. I'm getting tired of chasing them around; may have to pluck them off the roost at night and do my processing then.