Catching Chickens Is Easy? Think Again!

Catching chickens is easy, some say…

What world are you living in?

Don’t you know that a little chicken can outrun and outmanoeuvre you at every pace!

So get with reality and let’s find out how to tempt your chicken home.

Catching Chickens When They Fly The Coop

When your chickens get loose and escape out of the chicken coop, you will have a hard time trying to catch them?

Well…

If you decide to leap at them or sneak up on them and lunge out hoping that you have a chicken in your hands.

Think again…

They are going to outrun you and dodge like there is no tomorrow.

Remember that chickens evolved to know how to dodge their prey if their flying abilities are not that brilliant.

Now, this might not be good enough for much lower nifty predators.

But for us, towering above them and plundering along.

You have got little chance of catching chickens.

They will always try to get away from you.

So yes, when your chickens get loose and out of the coop, you will have a hard time trying to catch them on a good day.

They will always try to get away from you.

What Is The Easiest Way To Catch Chickens?

You could buy a poultry hook…

Yes, a poultry hook to catch your chickens…

There really is one, not that I have seen them though…

Apparently, you can catch a chicken by snagging one of its legs and quickly pulling it to you before it struggles free.

This could work for the longer-legged chicken breeds and also for the chickens that do not have feathers on their legs.

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As you just could get it wrong and see your chicken legging it into the sunset.

I however have never used this method myself.

The lunging is fine enough in the chicken run, you just might get lucky.

Better odds are if you corner your chicken, then slowly walk in and catch your chicken in your hands.

No fast movements though.

You will panic your chicken.

Smart Method Of Catching A Chicken

The easiest and smartest way of catching chickens is…

With food.

What animal do you not know, that their bellies overrule their desire to flee from you?

Chickens are the same.

When it comes to their bellies, they win.

Feed them first, and after they have started to eat their food, you can most lightly catch them.

If they are an escape artist and have found their way out of their chicken coop.

Do not panic!

They should be used to you feeding them.

Rattle a container of food, and then casually walk back into your chicken run, they should follow.

Do not be too anxious though…

That will only get them spooked if they look reluctant to follow you at first, act like you do not care and walk in front of them.

That should work.

Better Food On The Outside

If however, the food on the outside is better than what you are offering, and they are ignoring you while taking up the opportunity to eat everything in their vicinity.

DON’T PANIC!

Go inside and find something that they just love.

They like ourselves will leave on food for a better expectation of even more delicious food.

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Throwdown a little slowly from just a distance away and talk to them sweetly.

Once they have got a taste and realise you really have something better to offer them than what they can find in the backyard.

They will follow you till you give them their prize.

There are times that the chickens will think that you are also a chicken intending to mate with them, so they would get themselves ready for it and squat, making them easier to catch.

I know this myself and think…

What an earth…

But if it’s easier for you to catch why not.

How To Hold Chickens

Some people say always grab the chicken at the legs to protect yourself against getting scratched when they try to get away.

Support their body with one hand while grasping the legs with the other hand.

But I cannot bring myself to do this to my chickens as they are fairly tame anyway…

I just pick them up n my arms and carry them that way holding them securely so they feel safe.

Not that I would not do this to a rabid rooster intended to scratch and peck you given the chance.

Constant handling of the chickens and making them get used to the human touch is necessary especially if one should get sick, and you need to check your chicken to find out why.

In time the chickens will become familiar with you, and they will not make too much noise when you pick them up when catching chickens.

Well, most of the time…

Escape Chicken in Burma as well…