Idid it! I CAUGHT THEM BY THEIR FEET!

[nancypo]

That doesn't sound safe to me either, picking them up by their feet, scary too for them. Why stress the chicken or potenially hurt them? I've always picked them up by wrapping my hands around them gently, tuck their wings in. I talk to them quietly, and bring them up my face, sometimes they sit on my shoulder and look around, they like to snuggle against me too.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

 

[Akane]

If I'm moving hens I scoop them up with both hands pinning their wings down. If I'm catching roos to butcher or ornery guinea cocks I yank their feet out from under them and walk across the yard with them hanging. I'll get flogged if I don't. Sometimes I still get flogged if I don't get both feet on the guinea cock firmly enough. The ones that did not lose their heads after such events have always walked away fine if not particularly happy. No there is no point to doing it to your chickens randomly (rather cruel) or when other methods work but sometimes it's the best way and I don't particularly care about the risks when 5mins later they will be flapping around headless. It does make sense that they might calm because they can't breathe as well but I haven't heard first hand about one dying that way yet. Only that it supposedly can happen.

 

[flockof4]

Congrats on being able to grasp your chickens by the feet. I don't have much of a need to pick mine up, other than to put them back in the run when they fly out. So most of the time I just crouch down and hold them close to me and they relax and let me check them out. Holding them close with thier wings gently pinned against their bodies seems to let them know that they're not going anywhere. I just have hens, no spurs to worry about.

 

[txchickie]

I have to catch my guineas by their feet (ever tried to catch a grown, ticked off guinea?

), but my chickens are all gentle enough that I've never had to. I don't think it HURTS them though.

I did carry one of my evil roosters around by his feet, I was trying to show him who was boss and if I carried him upright he would bite and peck at me