My in-laws live in a neighborhood where a hispanic family who recently moved abandoned thier flock. They appear to be good looking, healthily birds, but I have never gotten closer than two feet to them before they run. The neighbors and my in-laws want them gone. I wouldn't mind a few more birds, and I would isolate them from my flock before integrating them so I can be sure they are completely healthy and safe. They appear to be Cornish Game, RIR, and some small creamy white breed. Any idea on how to catch them safely and humanely?
Begin a process of gaining their familiarity and trust. Bait them in with a rattle can of scratch, perhaps. Pavlov kind of thing. Do the same rattle loud and long for a couple days. I got a feeling that soon or later, you'd find them running toward the sound. You might stand in the run and rattle and feed and within a week, you'd likely get them in the run. I dislike fishing nets and so forth, as they get very wary and soon won't come near you. Try the feed baiting. Nothing to lose.
feed and capture. We have used the long handled fishing nets, clothes baskets, buckets, etc. lol if you are really good you can use a chicken catcher...but I never got the hang of it. http://www.amazon.com/Brower-PCF1-Poultry-Chicken-Catcher/dp/B001O217OG
Get a good flashlight and visit the property at night....see if you can pick some off of the roost, wherever that may be. If not, when they come down off the roost in the morning, be there and see how many you can snag when they are least wary. I've had great success with a bent coat hanger but one has to be quick and have the knack for it....patience and calm action is the key to it.
Give 'em treats. Rattle the can. Make sounds like a chicken. But never, never, never go around chasing them. They can run faster than you. After a few times they will run away whenever you look at them, and you don't want that.
I caught one! I found a hen laying under a hedge. I did not know, but she had 16 eggs beneath her. I just calmly walked up and started gently petting her. She didn't resist until I tried removing her from her eggs, at which point she flapped a bit but I had hold of her pretty firmly at this point. I put her in a computer paper box with a lid and put on some latex gloves before gathering her eggs into another box that had cedar shavings in the bottom. When I got them home I put her in a tractor by herself and put her eggs in a nest box. When I opened the box she flew around a bit and lost a few feathers (run is A-frame style and 5' at the apex). She calmed down and then immediately went to her eggs and sat. She is a very beautiful girl, maybe 4 pounds, kinda a dark red/copper with gold feather banding, fades to lighter red on underside. I would post pics but don't know how.
what beekissed said. Just go over at night after they roost and pick them up. Doesn't work if they roost high up in a tree, but otherwise it's probably the easiest way.
