How to catch a chicken

[Red Rocky]

....any ideas?

Two have made a break for freedom, one Leghorn (yup, it HAD to be her!!) flew over the electric netting, and while I left the gate open, another made a run for it :shock:

They are very friendly and come right up to me, NORMALLY, but today they are being playful and hard to get!!

I have tried the large towel to throw over them, but they won't be caught that easy. I tried staying still and fed a little bread too....

Although I am a fisherman, and have several nets, I am not sure about using one on a chicken, as I fear they may get themselves tangled in the panic..


Any suggestions?

 

[Bickerton]

Can you shepherd them aanywhere? This is how i get my skittish girl anywhere

 

[chrismahon]

We have a cheap landing net for emergencies. A TNN cockerel escaped and I caught him with that, but he did rip the net so I wouldn't risk your fishing net RR. Try a trail of grain.

 

[Marigold]

It helps to have two people on the job, plus a length of netting or a piece of hardboard or similar, for herding. 'One man and his hen' is more difficukt, at least without canine assitance. One person stands by the gate to the run, keeping it shut so the others don't all get the chance to join in the fun, and ready to open it in such a way that the door itself makes a barrier to stop the hen going off sideways when she approaches. This is why its better to have the door opening outwards, not in. With only one person, its hard to get ahead of the hen to open the gate without scaring her off round another circuit. The second person, armed with the herding netting or other implement, gently walks behind the hen, trying to funnel her towards the door and heading her off from behind or at the side when she moves out of line. Easier said than done, but possible if everybody is very quiet and slow-moving to keep her calm.
If only one person is available, another way is to create a sort of funnel to herd her into a narrow corner somewhere, and when she is confined to the
pointed end, just get hold of her in the usual way. If she is a leghorn and inclined to fly up, it will be easier if she can be herded somewhere where she can't do this.
And of course, this problem only occurs with hens that are not tame enough or hungry enough to realise that going back into the run means rewarding with a handful of corn to peck at. Once they get this into their little heads there's no problem except avoiding getting knocked over in the rush. I haven't found sprinkling corn on the ground outside the run is effective - the hen will come and eat the corn, but will keep a very wary eye on you and will move away at the first sign if your moving to capture her. You just have to get her to want to go back in, and then in a familiar, confined space, cornering her is quite easy.
All easier said than done - my Leghorn has recently decided she will give me the runaround and last week she got herself stuck between the mesh of the run and the mesh of the adjacent garden fence, struggling herself into what was an aperture if decreasing width between the two, in a place where I couldn't reach her to help. I had to get a brush, slide it between the two layers of mesh, and sort of 'persuade' her from below to struggle free in the opposite direction. She did emerge unhurt, but very alarmed, so then catching her was far worse, though t east she don't ly up and over into the next door garden, with their two big dogs. Of course they always do thus hen you are in a hurry to go out, don't they? I expect they sense I'm not fully relaxed, or maybe it happens at an unusual time of day in their routine.

 

[Red Rocky]

yeah, well being on you own, it makes shepherding difficult. I did try the net, but they just ran away from me as soon as they saw it.

They both made it back on their own, even though one stayed out for the night and I couldn't find where she had gone to bed.

I tried tempting them with treats too....

Needs more work methinks

 

[Marigold]

Yes you're right, it is a matter of training. if you can get them used to the idea that sound of a corn box being shaken means treats will follow, and that these will only happen in the run, they will soon all run to you and follow like little dogs back inside for their reward. You can train then to this by simply shaking the box inside the run to start with, and hand feeding them corn to get them to associate you with rewards, plus scattering some on the floor to keep them happily occupied. Apart from the occasional bolshie Leghorn, like my naughty madam of course.
When I let mine out in the garden I don't put any food out with them, so when they return they have had grass etc but are a bit hungry for more solid stuff, which helps. On the whole they are happy to be back inside. I shut the door to the run whilst they are out, to exclude wild birds, and I think this has contributed to the fact that so far I have never had any redmite in the coop, though I have to give them time to lay before letting them out for 'playtime.'