Minecraft wiki entry for Egg_farming, associated text: The usual way to capture chickens is to hold seeds of any kind, which will make any chickens nearby follow you across the landscape and right into the pen. Alternatively, if you already have slimeballs and string, you can use leads to drag them along; this will mostly keep them from wandering away. You will need a separate lead for each chicken. With care, chickens can even be led across water, as they will follow your boat.