When catching birds, a smooth style of movement is essential as sudden movements will cause the birds to take avoiding action, and then they are almost impossible to catch. Such episodes can result in smothering when the birds run into corners, injury from fleeing, and reduction in egg production.
Older chickens can be caught by grasping the body with both hands over the wings. This prevents flapping which could cause injury to the bird and alarm the other birds in the flock. Firm but responsive handling will be more successful in keeping the bird comfortable, whereas loose holding of the bird may allow it to free one or more limbs with the risk of injury.
The ideal approach is not always possible, and one may have to resort to catching the chicken by the legs. Both legs can be grasped with one hand. The other hand is used to support the bird from below in an upright position. It can then be held with the legs grasped and the body resting on the hand to allow it to be handled for condition scoring, general examination, assessment of laying status, etc.
