Where did they come from???

[KettermanHillCoop]

Sure looks like a girl to me.
I think you have one each of different breeds.
It looks to me like King is closer to laying age then the others. That would be why the comb is so red.

Cool... Do you know what breeds they are? Poor King...I've been talking to "him" like he's the "King of his harem"....lol

 

[KettermanHillCoop]

Welcome from New Orleans, please keep us up to date on how things go with the capture! As you have already seen, there are lots of friendly and informed people on this site. Which makes it a great place to get questions answered and it's also fun!!

Yes, great advice from everyone! I'm so appreciative!

 

[staceyj]

A couple of thoughts.
They don't look very old.
Have you checked your local Craigslist?
Three catagories to check:
Pets
Lost and found
Farm and garden.

Also I'd put in a non-emergency call to your local sheriffs office, animal control, and animal shelter.
They may know of someone who's reported their flock missing.

An APB OUT ON A FLOCK OF HENS...

Or if they are the nice kind of animal control, they might come out and help you catch them!

 

[lazy gardener]

I would wear long sleeves, that can be pulled down to cover your hands as needed. But, I'd avoid gloves. Yes, they will try to nip you (maybe, possibly, most likely) but, I'd be more concerned about the lack of dexterity with gloves on than I would about a nipping youngster. These birds are young, and most likely dumped by someone who decided that they really didn't want chickens after all. You can easily reach them with a step ladder. Have a second person handy to manage your box(es). I fold the flaps down over the top of the box after getting the first one in, then tuck each bird head first through the center hole between the 4 flaps. You may be able to get all 5 in a single box. You could also use pillow cases. Or a dog crate, what ever will ensure that once you have the birds caught, they can't escape your control. If you use a crate, bring a blanket to cover it to help keep the birds calm. If all you can grab is feet, grab them by the feet, and hold them upside down until you can get their upper body/wings under control. If you've not handled chickens before, you can be a bit on the timid side. Just grab a body or the feet, and hang on until you get her under control.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I too recommend bare hands. Gloves are slippery against feathers. At least leather ones tend to be slippery.

As to breeds you may actually have 3 golden comets but I am not super familiar with color variations in that breed. I have no idea what breed King is. The other oddball could be an Easter Egger that happens to be beardless.

 

[AllenK RGV]

Chicken wire is chicken proof, not predator proof.

So when you do catch them, definitely keep them in the coop at night, and definitely have a layer of hardware cloth (1/2 inch or smaller) on the window and vent openings. I use aviation snips to cut the stuff, and pavers to hold it down while cutting.

If you have an angle grinder it is way better than snips, I cut through 3 feet of HC in well under 30 seconds with that. I think I spent $19 on mine at harbor freight it is a wimpy thing for cutting through bolts or screws, but is a dream on hardware cloth.

 

[staceyj]

I think king is a queen too.
And the rest, close to laying age but not quite there.

Comb and wattles develop at different rates by breed.
It's the way the feathers grow for many that tip you off on gender....
but you'll learn all about that stuff later...

 

[rjohns39]

WOW! I had to read through six pages of posts just to say Hi! What a great story. You've gotten great advice so I'll just say Hi and welcome to BYC We're so thrilled that you've decided to join us

Actually I will toss in my two cents... You said you have layer. Given their situation, if you can get a small bag of grower or broiler, I'd start them on that and then transition to the layer. I'd also give them vitamins/probiotics in their water.

 

[WVduckchick]

I was also curious about King's gender, but wasn't sure enough to mention it. I would suggest posting pics on the breed/gender section. There are some wonderful experts over there than can be sure about him/her.
(I'm still thinking male though, fat legs lol)

 

[AllenK RGV]

WOW! I had to read through six pages of posts just to say Hi! What a great story. You've gotten great advice so I'll just say Hi and welcome to BYC We're so thrilled that you've decided to join us

Actually I will toss in my two cents... You said you have layer. Given their situation, if you can get a small bag of grower or broiler, I'd start them on that and then transition to the layer. I'd also give them vitamins/probiotics in their water.

Hi and welcome to BYC! Hope you catch them without a hitch. I really like @lazy gardener 's box tip and will be adding that to my inventory of chick tricks. I have loads of boxes laying around and know they won't suffocate in those. I would try catching them at night while roosting without a flashlight per other suggestions if it is pitch black without security lighting for the chicken to see you by. Other than that good hunting.