Easy Chicken House Plans

Backyard Chickens San Francisco

How do you catch/maintain chickens when you don't have a coop?

I'm from San Francisco living in the Visitacion Valley neighborhood. My family just got 3 chickens today as pets. We're not farmers, meaning we have no coop or special chicken housing equipment except for this little chicken house cage thing. We temporarily have them in the backyard where they are completely exposed and we're afraid that they'll fly away when we try to catch them. One of them was already able to fly off into our neighbors' yard (we got her back though). Our yard is surrounded by the yards of our other neighbors, one of them having a pitbull. So I want to know how I can catch them without provoking them into flying off as well as how my family can do better in terms of housing for the chickens without spending too much money.
We are not farmers. We are not possessing these chickens for their eggs. We just want them as pets. Roosters are not an option.

Why get chickens as "pets" before reading up on their care and needs? They do not make good pets really. They need daily and attention, you can't just go out for a night without first making sure someone reliable puts the chickens away at dusk. They are tie to be honest. I keep/breed chickens and turkey and haven't had a holiday in 2 years.

They need a large secure predator proof pen preferably on grass, they also need a secure henhouse to roost in at night and lay eggs in the daytime. They go in by themselves, no need to "catch" them this stresses them out. If they fly clip one wing, the first 10 feathers by about 3 inches.

A rooster is not necessary, the chickens will lay eggs regardless. Chickens are noisy, a rooster more so.

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