How to catch rooster seen running around my neighborhood?

[User635240]

Hi all, I posted a few days ago that my neighbor told me he saw 'one of my roosters' running around in the street up by the Amish family. I am not missing a rooster, but suspect this is one that I gifted to that irresponsible family a year ago. Anyway, today a guest at my farm also said she saw a rooster running across the street, but about a half mile down from where the previous sighting was. She said he proceeded to walk down the driveway of an unoccupied house. I investigated that house and found an old empty coop and stable, but no rooster. This is a rural Midwest residential/agricultural township. Lots of natural predators, and lots of animals killed on the street. How can I catch this poor guy?

 

[sourland]

If you can find out where he is hanging out, a live trap baited with grain might work.

 

[User635240]

If you can find out where he is hanging out, a live trap baited with grain might work.

That's a good idea. What would prevent another animal like an opossum, mink, or rat from getting in there first?

 

[sourland]

That's a good idea. What would prevent another animal like an opossum, mink, or rat from getting in there first?

Another non target animal might get there first.

 

[User635240]

Another non target animal might get there first.

Would it help to place the trap at a certain height above the ground?

 

[Tonyroo]

It be worth finding out where he's sleeping. If it's not to high would make for easy grab.

 

[NatJ]

That's a good idea. What would prevent another animal like an opossum, mink, or rat from getting in there first?

Chickens look for food in the daytime and sleep at night.
Many other animals look for food at night.
So setting the trap just in the daytime could help a bit.

There's always some chance of catching the wrong thing, but you could just let it go again at the very same spot. (I might be in favor of killing a rat rather than letting it go again.) Hopefully it will be scared enough of the trap to stay out in future, although there's a chance it will decide that's an easy way to get a free meal, and then you'd catch the same one over and over.

 

[raingarden]

Getting him to come to food might be the hard part. If you can feed it then you can catch it.

 

[aart]

I investigated that house and found an old empty coop and stable, but no rooster.

Go back and look at night, he may well be roosting there.

 

[Ridgerunner]

First I think you need to determine he is available to be trapped and removed. Some people free range their chickens, especially in areas with a farming tradition. Taking something that belongs to someone else is called stealing. Trespassing on someone else's property is sometimes considered trespassing and frowned upon. I think I'd chat with your local animal control or local law enforcement if you cannot be sure and get the owner's permission for either of these things. As someone mentioned in your other thread, when you give chickens away they are no longer your property.

With that out of the way, they tend to sleep in the same spot every night. If you can determine where that is you may be able to take him off of his roost. That is usually easier said than done. If he has been feral that long it's probably a pretty good hiding place. And it could easily be high enough or somewhere you can't get him, especially in the dark.

If you can determine where he hangs out at a certain time of the day, try feeding him a little scratch or grain at that place and time. Shelled corn works great. After he is used to the free food, try setting the live trap at that time. You might catch something else, somebody might take the trap (is it stealing the trap if you put it on someone else's property without their permission and they keep it).