4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[freya_chick]

How do you catch a chicken who just runs away as soon as you get close? Minnie and Dixie, the , no problem and Maud the black Pekin I can just chase into the run. The two newbies though - Polly the sussex and Lily the lavender Bantam - no chance! I like to let them free range during the day though when I'm in but need to go out to pick DD up from school so need to get Polly and Lily back into the run - they won't go of their own volition - it's just me so as soon as I've managed to get one in, another one does a runner. I've been trying to pick them up when they're roosting and give them a stroke and a cuddle to get them used to it but they're still so averse - any sure fire ways for catching that chook?

 

Thanks

 

Freya

xx

[C&T]

Only thing I can suggest is bribary and corruption...

 

Some favourite tit-bit to get them back into the run. Meal worms always work with ours. We walk down the garden shaking the pot, and they follow like rats following the pied piper! Throw a few worms in the run, and they follow quite happily!

 

Good Luck!

[Egluntyne]

I use an angling net. I can no longer do the quick lunge, but find it quite easy to catch them with the net.

[freya_chick]

A net! Genius - never thought of that!

 

I've tried bribery with cherry tomatoes - Polly loves them but still keeps her distance and views me with great suspicion - Lily won't even give me a second glance! I think I'll get some mealworms for the future!

 

Off to give it one last go before I do the school run.

 

Freya

xx

[Falkor]

I have been strict with the hens and my OH and we only feed treats in the run. Corn, veggies, toms, meal worms etc all get thrown into the run and they all follow it

 

It has taken about two months to get Saffy the CLB trained and I am still working on OH as he still throws them corn on the lawn

 

 

Not sure this is the quickfire soloution you are after but it can be done

[Space Chick]

I agree with Palmer07, shaking corn and mealworms and then throwing them in the run, and soon they will recognise the sound, know what it means and will all pile in

 

No matter where my lot are in the garden, they hear that sound and come bounding towards me

[coco]

My three will go anywhere for a bit of bread.

[The Dogmother]

Most of mine are easy to catch, but I use a landing net on the two naughty tinkers - less stressful for them and me!

[sallyj]

My chickens will run anywhere for corn. I always have some in a tupperware pot with a lid which I rattle. They soon learnt to associate the rattle with getting some corn so if I need to get them into the run in a hurry I rattle the pot and they all come flying It's also very useful to get them back if they have sneaked underneath the omlet netting by mistake

[TAJ]

A scoop of mixed corn thrown in the run - they run in and I shut the door. In fact they are so eager that now if I enter the garden with the scoop they run in the run before I even enter the netting and their part of the garden.

 

If I need to catch the tricker ones for inspection I make a narrow triangle point of the netting, once they get in they cannot get out and I just pick them up - start chasing a chicken around an open garden and it will win everytime.

 

Tracy