Need more suggestions on how to catch a loose chicken?!?

[Ariana Martinez]

My rooster Woody has been loose for nearly 3 months now, and I need him caught. He has already escaped and survived 3 separate dog attacks on him and I'm worried for his life sence he isn't afraid of dogs, only people. My dog Baby has killed several chickens in the past , that we're not mine and I don't wanna loose any to her. He is very good at out smarting me or anyone who attempts to catch him, I have kept my hens in their house today and left the coop door open and layed some good out for him, sence the coops right out my window as soon as I see him go in i might be able to close the door and have him trapped before he escapes again. But I don't know how long it will take or if he'll even go in so I need more ideas. I can't use a pole and net cause he won't let me get close enough, he's very attached to my horse who he mainly stays with out in the pasture and that's the closest I'll get to him by riding my horse. Please comment ideas if you have any. Thanks

 

[ChickenManTN]

You should be able to pick him right up at night. If he's roosting up in a tree, you can use the technique my dad taught me: Make a long pole with a T on the end to use as a perch. Put the T under his breast, right in front of his feet and pick him up. He should step right onto the pole to regain his balance. My dad's family had game chickens running wild on the farm when he was young. This was how they would catch them, as they always roosted in the trees.

 

[Ariana Martinez]

If I use a flash light to help me see sence he stays in the woods do you think he will take off or stay put in the tree?

 

[ChickenManTN]

If you keep the light on him his eyes will adjust and he will start to move around. If you just use the light for quick flashes you will be able to see what you need to see and his eyes won't have time to adjust to the light, just like when someone shines a flashlight in your eyes.

Chickens can't see as well as we can in the dark. You could probably get him on a moonlit night without a flashlight.

One more thing: He is not guaranteed to cooperate. Some chickens do get flighty when handled at night, but most of them just hold still. The flighty ones don't go running off, they just want to get out of your grasp and then sit still in the dark, from what I have seen. They are pretty well blind at night. If you are concerned about him getting jumpy and hurting himself in the dark, you may want to net him.


Edited 1 week later to update:

Okay, there are exceptions to every rule. I just tried to catch three Japanese Bantams in the dark and they could see me as well as I could see them. They ran, jumped, ducked, dodged and flew like bats. I managed to catch two of them by flashing the light to temporarily blind them and one got away. I mean the other really got away. Evidently her night vision was better than mine. I have no idea where she ran off to, and I had a flashlight. I've never seen anything like it. So a more accurate statement, I believe, is that most chickens can't see very well in the dark.

 

[Ariana Martinez]

I went looking for him last night for about and hour and couldn't find him, and this morning he showed up and I'm gonna try again tonight. Thanks for the ideas.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

You may have to find him just BEFORE dark, and watch to see where he roosts

OR you could use a live trap to try and catch him

 

[Ariana Martinez]

Finally trapped him yesterday. I put a dog crate next to the coop and laid out different types of food for him and watched out my window and waited. Within 10 mins he was in the cage and eating the food, I ran outside and and closed the gait. For the last 3 nights I've gone searching in the woods for him and saw or heard him. I'm glad to finally have him safe in the coop and I appreciate the comments and ideas.

 

[lazy gardener]

Now, clip his wing so he won't take off again. Unless you think he'll continue his Houdini act, in which case he should not be clipped to allow him to evade predator attacks.

 

[Ariana Martinez]

How do I clip them?

 

[lazy gardener]

You only need to clip one side. Just do a thread search on how to clip wings. There are plenty of instructions, even videos. It's as easy as cutting hair!