Did you ever find yourself lurking around your backyard just to catch your escaped chicken? We kind of relate if that ever happens to you because chickens are known for making ninja moves and going flight mode!
And yes, you can agree to us that these little darlings have a speed like lighting that you just scratch your head because you can’t figure a way to chase them.
But let bygones be bygones because, in this article, we’ll share with you the best hard-earned practices we’ve learned throughout the years. While these birds are known to be agile and faster, you can definitely outsmart them with these five effective ways to catch a chicken!
1. Have your Chickens Tempted with Yummy and Enticing Treats
Most often than not, the best way to lure your chicken way back into its cage is nothing but through special, yummy, and enticing treats.
With this practically wise method, you won’t ever have to run around and spend your entire day chasing your chickens. Let these cute darlings naturally come to you by offering them delicious food.
You can jumpstart this process by sitting down quietly and gently scattering food such as corn in front of you. Personally, we highly recommend you try mealworms because chickens are fond of these treats.
Afterward, wait patiently for your escaped chickens to approach. As they draw closer, don’t hesitate to throw more treats and food. But of course, be careful with your actions because any sudden movements might frighten and spook your chicken, making them run away.
On the other hand, you can open the door of their coop, toss a bunch of mealworms, and just stand back. If you’re fortunate enough, you will find your chicken slowly returning to its home without any harm done on your part.
2. Make Use of a Chicken Catcher Hook
Sometimes, the chickens we raise in our backyard, most especially roosters, can be quite aggressive and territorial that we don’t want to be close to them as much as possible.
If that’s your situation at the moment, you might find a chicken catcher hook useful and handy. Promise! This tool can totally save you from unnecessary and painful bruises and scratches!
Simply speaking, a poultry hook or otherwise called a chicken catcher hook, is a long pole that is usually four feet in length with a small hook on its other end. So, whenever there’s an escapee chicken in your flock, you can just quickly thrust the pool out.
And voila, latch the tiny hook around your chicken’s ankle. Indeed, with the use of a chicken catcher hook, you can capture your runaway chicken with exact precision while, at the same time, keeping yourself at a distance.
And yes, what makes this method more amazing is that this whole process won’t consume too much of your precious time, as it can be done within seconds!
3. Catch your Chicken with a Fishing Net
Now, if you must catch a chicken in a hurry because you’re running out of time, you may consider using a fishing net. But of course, when picking or choosing, please avoid using a cheap and flimsy fishing net.
As we all might be aware, our upset runaway chickens can be quite stubborn and will muster all strength just to escape, so a heavy-duty fishing net will do the trick. And I swear that a poor-quality type of fishing net would in no way match your chicken’s energy once it angrily flaps its wings.
Just wait patiently until your chicken stops moving, then toss the fishing net all over her body. Afterward, only be prepared and get ready to detangle your little bird from the mesh afterward.
4. Trap the Chicken into a Corner
Maybe you’re quite familiar or acquainted with this style, that is, trapping into the corner method, because you’ve already done it before, perhaps for your cat or dog who refuses to take its bath.
After all, if there’s a wide, open space, chickens will most likely roam, play around, and escape. So, in reverse, if you limit that space, you can quickly turn around your entrapment to be less time-consuming and labor-intensive.
But don’t get us wrong since we don’t want you to chase your chickens. If these little darlings felt, no matter how slight it is, that they are being pursued, chances are they will never stop running, and that’s not what we all want.
To catch your chicken using this method, it’s always best to approach these cute birds carefully with your arms out. Then, guide your chicken into the corner where you want it to go.
Once the bird is cornered and entrapped with nowhere to go, that’s the time you slowly bend down and pick the chicken. And one last note, always keep your hands on the chicken’s wings to calm them down and keep them from flapping.
5. Utilize a Cardboard Box
This straightforward way of catching a chicken through a cardboard box would work efficiently if you find yourself catching a chicken inside a coop that is too way large to pick up or too territorial and aggressive to handle.
And here’s how you can successfully pull off this method!
- First of all, find a box that’s suitable or large enough that you can easily contain the chicken you’re trying to catch.
- Then, corner the bird slowly and place the cardboard box over it gently.
- Once done, flip the flaps of the box carefully underneath the chicken so the container is dark and closed.
- Lastly, carry the box over to its new location and release the chicken.
Indeed, this fifth method of utilizing a cardboard box pretty much works well since the darkness of the cardboard box can calm your chicken.
On top of everything, the container will protect you from unnecessary pecking and spurring. So, I bet that this cardboard box method is an effective way to catch your little chicken and move them to another location.
Conclusion
Once in a while, you’ll might find your chickens sneaking around and being a complete escapee in their cage. However, since these cute little birds are naturally faster in running compared to humans, it’s hard to catch them simply with our bare hands.
But thankfully, you don’t need to worry and bother anymore because, with these five effective ways we’ve shown you in this article, you can definitely outsmart these witty little birds and catch them in no time!
