How to catch chicks?

[Donnigan]

I have 3 7 week old chicks that i have just released in the chicken pen( they have a large pen and most days free range in the backyard). However i still need to put the chicks in their cage several times a day so they can eat and drink and at night. Well catching them is not easy! I have three trees in the chicken pen with limbs going everywhere, the chicks hide under there and i cant see where they are because they move so much!then when they get out from under it they run around the chicken house and back under the trees! I wonder what the neighbors think when they see me running around the chicken pen as fast as i can! They probably cant even see the chicks over the weeds so i must look ridiculous! Lol! How can I catch them easier? Thanks

 

[BuffOrpington88]

Hi! I think that food is always a good idea-- maybe put some scratch (or any other treat) in the corner where it will be easier to corner them and catch them until they get used to it. Good luck!

 

[Donnigan]

Hi! I think that food is always a good idea-- maybe put some scratch (or any other treat) in the corner where it will be easier to corner them and catch them until they get used to it. Good luck!

I'll try it! Thanks

 

[Jensownzoo]

If you use something long in your hand (stick, broom, pool noodle) you can use it as an extension of your arm to direct the chicks where to go. Learning this trick saved me a cardio workout trying to round up the stragglers. I was working against goats who ALSO wanted the food incentive I put down for the chicks, so I had to get more creative.

 

[azygous]

It's not necessary to chase and catch chicks. It's super easy and quick to teach them to come to you when you call them.

I'm sure by now they have a favorite treat. If not, live meal worms are always a big hit with chicks. Make sure you use the same carton each time and use the same verbal cue.

Sit down on the ground and get comfortable. Be very still and quiet. Then show the chicks the worms, holding one or two out in your hand. if they won't come close enough to take one, toss it to them to get their interest. Then wait for them to come take the next one from your hand.

I guarantee that you will have them climbing all over you in no time at all. Do this exercise each day, and repeat the verbal cue each time. When it comes time to gather them up, lure them into an enclosure with the worms and it will be simple to pick them up and put them in their cage.

 

[AK Chick]

I have 3 7 week old chicks that i have just released in the chicken pen( they have a large pen and most days free range in the backyard). However i still need to put the chicks in their cage several times a day so they can eat and drink and at night. Well catching them is not easy! I have three trees in the chicken pen with limbs going everywhere, the chicks hide under there and i cant see where they are because they move so much!then when they get out from under it they run around the chicken house and back under the trees! I wonder what the neighbors think when they see me running around the chicken pen as fast as i can! They probably cant even see the chicks over the weeds so i must look ridiculous! Lol! How can I catch them easier? Thanks

Well, what works for me is that I feed them using a gallon-size juice pitcher, and I call them when I bring the food. If they see the pitcher, they always come running, which is good because I have a yet-to-be-found gap in my fencing which lets a couple out. Even hard to catch Gypsy always comes when she sees the food. Establishing a routine for feeding seems to work best for me.

 

[Weehopper]

Can't you just put food and water in the pen where they are during the day? Or, even out in the free range area. I have a mama hen and chicks who free range with the rest of the flock on my two acres. I can't leave chicken feed anywhere but inside the coop area because my dogs, though they don't bother the chickens, will do their best to eat every bit of chicken feed they might have access to. I keep telling them they are going to start laying eggs, but they don't care. So, the chickens free range and the feed stays put behind a locked gate. There is fresh water available to the birds at all times. If I look out there and see mama and chicks scratching around outside the coop area (it's chain link, so the babies can get in anytime), I go out and open the gate to let them in. I just make sure the dogs are inside the house. So far, everyone seems happy, though the dogs are having no luck laying eggs. No one has starved to death.