How to catch a hen with her three chicks?

[ApesMullen]

Hi Everyone,

The other day I was driving through North Miami (area where I live close to) back from Walgreens and I saw 5 roosters that have basically taken over a median between these two apartment complexes. They were accompanied by some hens BUT what really caught my eye was a group of chickens that looked to be adults but they were small and they had backsides that looked very similar to a quails backside. One of these hens looked like a Buff Orpington but with the backside of a quail and she had three baby chicks with her, and she was very small, smaller than my rooster who is a 6-month-old silver laced polish. My mom and I saw a lady that lives in the apartment and she told us that the people that live there hate them that they throw rocks at them and basically don't want them there. She also said that the small hen with the chicks had more babies but they have been getting taken by cats and run over in the area, mind you this is a bad neighborhood, too and I'm not surprised by the amount of free ranged roosters/hens around there, because a lot of people here in North Miami use them for religious practice such as Santeria and Haitian Voodoo.

My question for everyone is how do I catch the hen with the chicks? I have the means to take care of her in my backyard, my dogs are used to chickens since we currently have a baby roo (who is actually going to be relocated to a friends farm in Tampa so that he can live a rooster life out of harm's way and be happy since my neighborhood doesn't allow roosters) and we had his mom before him so I have a place for them to roam free and still be safe. I wanna do what I can ASAP since she's only got three chicks left, and I don't know how much longer she'll be able to keep them safe out there. Any advice is appreciated!

P.S. I know that going at night and getting her is a good option, but I don't know how comfortable I am going into the neighborhood at night as I had mentioned before this is a section 8 government apartment complex and the people around there aren't too keen on outsiders. I tried to lure her with some food yesterday and she wanted nothing to do with me, probably because of how badly people have been treating her and her chicks so I understand that, it just makes my life a lot harder when it comes to trying to catch her.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Any advice is appreciated!

Find out where they are sleeping as they are MUCH easier to catch in the dark.. They should mostly stay hunkered down trying to hide instead of running away as they cannot see well in the dark. If it's well lit that may be another story.

 

[ApesMullen]

Find out where they are sleeping as they are MUCH easier to catch in the dark.. They should mostly stay hunkered down trying to hide instead of running away as they cannot see well in the dark. If it's well lit that may be another story.

It's definitely dark around there, her and her chicks tend to hide in the bushes I noticed but I don't know if they stay there at night. Also, I am a bit uncomfortable going at night since the neighborhood is not a good area at all and I don't want anyone to think that I am loitering or trespassing.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

It's definitely dark around there, her and her chicks tend to hide in the bushes I noticed but I don't know if they stay there at night. Also, I am a bit uncomfortable going at night since the neighborhood is not a good area at all and I don't want anyone to think that I am loitering or trespassing.

Take a team or chat with the tenants who throw rocks to see if they will KINDLY help you catch them for removal. Or ask one of the more trusted residents to identify where she is sleeping with them. Since they are still chicks, if they are small.. it should still be on the ground.

You might also be able to contact animal control to see if they could help since these are domestic animals at large and in danger.

Hens losing babies to predators is par for the course in nature. Even the ladies in my back yard occasionally lose a chick to hawks and the like. Amazingly she was able to sit on the eggs for 3 weeks without losing her own life!

Or some animal advocate type groups, rescues, or organizations. They may have trapping down to a science for certain species and be able to give you some great information.

Call a news station to do a report. Use social media like Facebook. Whatever idea you can come up with to call attention to the need.. which, despite the dangers you describe.. I'm not sure there is one. But that isn't for me to decide and I wish you the best trying to help out a fellow animal!