What do i use to catch my chickens when they escape

[ackie]

herding can be effective but you really need more than one person, so you can funnel the birds into the pen/coop. unless you can set up some type of barricade to block some of where they can go. but I don't let mine out if I need them put up before night.

 

[ackie]

They also tend to run back into the pen if I put down fresh food.

 

[Acre4Me]

Over the past three years, we’ve employed a large fishing net. They hate it...they avoid it. So, it works well as a herding tool for all the chickens. Want them back into the run, then we calmly walk towards the chickens and they maneuver to avoid the net. In the summer with the younger chickens who want to stay out in the run late , they do need to be caught by the net a couple of times before they avoid it. But, it has worked best for us.

 

[Mamatomany123]

I just shake that treat can and those fatties look like the Raptors from Jurassic Park running in my direction. I put their treats in an old coffee can. Anytime they see a coffee can they come running and screaming.

 

[rosemarythyme]

no they dont

Might want to work on training them to come to you. As others have noted food is a great motivator, noisy food is even better. Shake a plastic canister of sunflower seeds (or other rattling treat) and then give them a few pieces. Shake again, treat again. Repeat this a few times a day and you'll start to notice that they'll look up or come over. Soon they'll start running over in anticipation.

I also can herd mine by waving a stick (poop scooper in my case) behind them, while calling "Chook chook chook" and over time they've learned that that means turn around and walk away in front of me. Once they go back to the run they get treats so they're happy to head back home.

 

[DucksAreBest]

What do i use to catch my chickens when they escape

The least stressful way to catch chickens (if they are scared of you) is in a net.

 

[MissE]

Having chased chickens through the woods with a landing net, I can tell you those little buggers are quick! I was trying to move them to their new coop 100 yds from the old one. Should have waited til dark. Food worked to lure them for a while, but then they scattered when I tried to get them in the new coop

They will come back to their roost at night time. Hopefully they don't get in trouble before then.

 

[cluckmecoop7]

The least stressful way to catch chickens (if they are scared of you) is in a net.

I kindly disagree

 

[MissMonty]

Nets and things like that are VERY stressful to a bird and can risk injury. I would only use them as a last resort. I don't let mine out if I need them back in before dark (they put themselves to bed at night). If I need to move them tho I usually herd them. I'm pretty good at it even when I'm alone (not to brag but I was a champion chicken chaser at the Dixie Stampede when I was like 6 )

Herding them works the best for me. If I try to bribe I'll have a few that'll come running the rest go about their business.

 

[MissE]

I kindly disagree

Depends on how you do it. Sneaking the net over them, and then picking them up isn't so bad. Swooping them up like you just netted a world class walleye is different. I use a net so I can get a good hold of them. I've had an uncooperative bird struggle as soon as i tried to grab them while they are trying to run away, causing me to drop them and accidentally pull out feathers, which is much more traumatic than a net.

If they aren't in immediate danger, I will wait until they come home to roost. The net is used when I don't have a lot of options.