Getting my chickens home

[WIchix]

I am a first time chicken owner and I will be getting 5 20 week old pullets in 2 weeks. I have to drive 5 hours to pick them up, at 5:30pm. I have a large dog kennel that I will transport them home in. I'm assuming I won't be able to put any food or water in the kennel with them because they will just kick it over?? Also, I was thinking I could put a blanket over the kennel so it is darker and maybe lull them to sleep, as the sun will be setting about 2 to 2 1/2hours after I leave there. Are those good assumptions and should I be considering anything else?
Also, what should I be thinking about doing when I get them home?
Thank you in advance from a nervous newbie.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

For that long a drive I would put a little mushy feed in a heavy bowl just in case. Put towels or something soft you don’t care about on the bottom of the kennel so they don’t slide too much. They will probably sleep but just in case a little food with water mixed in will be good and the least messy.

 

[McChooky]

Will they be inside the vehicle or on the back of a truck?

 

[RoyalChick]

I am a first time chicken owner and I will be getting 5 20 week old pullets in 2 weeks. I have to drive 5 hours to pick them up, at 5:30pm. I have a large dog kennel that I will transport them home in. I'm assuming I won't be able to put any food or water in the kennel with them because they will just kick it over?? Also, I was thinking I could put a blanket over the kennel so it is darker and maybe lull them to sleep, as the sun will be setting about 2 to 2 1/2hours after I leave there. Are those good assumptions and should I be considering anything else?
Also, what should I be thinking about doing when I get them home?
Thank you in advance from a nervous newbie.

At 20 weeks they should be able to roost so I would put a stick through the bars of the dog cage and let them roost on it. I found that they were able to handle the movement of the vehicle quite well and enjoyed looking out the window (mine were in the car not in an open truck bed).
You can get what are called cage cups from any pet store. They hook onto the horizontal bars of the cage and you could fill a couple of those with mash (chicken feed and water) so they can snack on the way.
I mean who goes on a road trip without snacks?!
Hope it goes well.

 

[Perris]

Put towels or something soft you don’t care about on the bottom of the kennel so they don’t slide too much.

x2. Leg injuries are easily caused if they slip and slide; a towel is perfect for giving their feet some traction, and absorbing poop en route.

As for food and water, I assume you will stop for refreshments somewhere along the way. If you stop before it gets too dark, you could put some food and water in the crate while you're having a break, and they can then stock up for the night as they would ordinarily, and you can then remove the leftovers before resuming your journey.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I am a first time chicken owner and I will be getting 5 20 week old pullets in 2 weeks. I have to drive 5 hours to pick them up, at 5:30pm. I have a large dog kennel that I will transport them home in. I'm assuming I won't be able to put any food or water in the kennel with them because they will just kick it over?? Also, I was thinking I could put a blanket over the kennel so it is darker and maybe lull them to sleep, as the sun will be setting about 2 to 2 1/2hours after I leave there. Are those good assumptions and should I be considering anything else?

Chickens do not eat or drink at night when it is dark. They go through longer periods of dark than yours will on this trip. It will not hurt them at all to not eat or drink for that time period.

One thing I'd consider is that you do not want them to get too hot. If they are in the vehicle and the AC is on it should not be a problem. If they are on the back of a truck will it be a problem? They need ventilation as they breathe air. Can they get decent breathable air with that cover?

Also, what should I be thinking about doing when I get them home?

What are your circumstances at home? Do you have other chickens? What do your facilities look like? Do you need to consider quarantine or integration? But in general I'd put them somewhere predator safe and have food and water available for them when they woke up.

This does not have to be complicated or hard. Good luck!

 

[WIchix]

Thank you all for the helpful comments.

The dog kennel is one that has a metal bottom. I have put some cardboard on the sides, only about 1' high and I plan to put pine shavings on the bottom, the same ones that will be in their coop. I think I have that part covered.
They will be inside the vehicle, with me, so they should stay cool. I don't plan on stopping so I guess I'll go with the suggestion of putting some mash in a heavy bowl.
I can definitely add a stick for them to roost on.
These are my first chickens so I don't need to quarantine them. I will put them right into their coop. That does bring up another question for me. I am going to use a 5 gallon bucket with nipples on it for their water. Will they know how to use them right away... or will they even know that is where their water is?

 

[RoyalChick]

Thank you all for the helpful comments.

The dog kennel is one that has a metal bottom. I have put some cardboard on the sides, only about 1' high and I plan to put pine shavings on the bottom, the same ones that will be in their coop. I think I have that part covered.
They will be inside the vehicle, with me, so they should stay cool. I don't plan on stopping so I guess I'll go with the suggestion of putting some mash in a heavy bowl.
I can definitely add a stick for them to roost on.
These are my first chickens so I don't need to quarantine them. I will put them right into their coop. That does bring up another question for me. I am going to use a 5 gallon bucket with nipples on it for their water. Will they know how to use them right away... or will they even know that is where their water is?

Regarding the water, if they have not used a nipple waterer before (you can ask the people you are getting them from if they have been using one), then they will need it explaining.
Not an onerous task for you or them, but I suggest after a 5 hour drive you might want to just give them a couple of bowls of water and leave the training session for the morning.
Training is just showing them by tapping them with your finger. Once one gets it, they will all learn.