Collecting chickens, but not moving until the following day

[mcmarsh]

We've never had chickens before so I want to make sure I treat them well.
We have just bought a coop and planning on getting it set up this week and then collecting pullets next week. We live 2 hours away from a main centre, and the pullets are are further hour in the opposite direction.
I was planning on collecting them Thursday afternoon, and then traveling back home to their coop Friday afternoon. I think they will be ok traveling in a large cat cage together (4-5 chickens), but I am not sure what I should do with them over night while I am staying at my parents house - with no coop!
There is a garage, but no way of confining them really. Shall I just leave them in the cat cage over night?

 

[dheltzel]

You can put some water inside the cage (I think they make cups for hanging on the inside of the door). I would be most concerned about over-heating in a confined space like that. As long as they can stay cool enough they will be fine with just some occasional water. I'd probably put water in first thing in the morning and take it out before hitting the road.

 

[mcmarsh]

thanks dheltzel - winter here in the southern hemisphere, so I imagine the garage will get cold to 5-10 degrees Celsius over night. So may just be ok with some food and water before bed and again the morning?

 

[aart]

I'd put them in the largest cage you can...with lots of bedding to soak up the poops.