Okay, amateurs..how do YOU catch your rooster....

[gmendoza]

I do the ole " Rocky Balboa" way...J/K!. I do put him back into the run and corner him,then duck low and when he comes running by,I grab his tail feathers,tuck him onto my side and hold him tight.

 

[hd_darcy]

Love love love all the ideas.. Happy news is that I caught him!!!!!!!!! I wanted him gone TODAY... too impatient to wait until night, and then I would have to probably get pecked. He's so ornery, if I try to pet him while roosting he pecks my hand.. Anyway, I cornered him, and basically caught him in a storage bin. I then put the lid on it, and BUCKLED it shut (found some crazy buckle belt thing in my husband's shop) so he couldn't pop the lid.

My neighbors took him and THANKED me. Oh my.... He was thrown in a pen instantly with many other chickens. I can't help but feel sorry for him, but maybe he'll get to live at least (for awhile anyway) ???

Now, I have moved my "babies" into the coop... so no more chasing them around at night when it's time for them to go in the "medium-brooder".. I'm so so happy! I will miss his crowing.. however I have no shortage on roosters. Three of my four babies are roosters and crowing now too (just very amateurely)

 

[JoJo 95]

Put some scratch grain in a ziploc container. Pour some gin or vodka on top and put the cover on the container. shake it and let it soak. then feed them a little bit and they'll flip over drunk. Then you can catch them. after about 5 minutes, they will be back to normal

 

[PhilErvin]

My roo boldly walks up to me to attack, if I'm not in the mood to fight him off I simply reach down and pick him up and lock him up in the run while I do whatever I need to do. I also have a large fishing net that I catch him with when he is being mean, I just catch him in it and let him lay there for a few minutes.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

I don't know if it's such a good idea to give chickens alcohol, it sounds risky.

I find it best to catch chickens at night when they can be plucked right off the roost. Or if they roost up in a tree you can press a push broom up under their breast & get them to step on it, then carefully lower the broom. My kids like to hum "elevator music" while they descend.

Also, it's handy to train your chickens to come when called, and easy to do. I put some cracked corn in a metal can and shake it before tossing out the corn. It doesn't take them long to learn that the sound, plus the call "Heeeeere chick-chick-chick!" means something good to eat, and they'll come running. If there's a bird I want to catch I'll put some corn in a wire crate and close the door after the bird has gone in to eat.