How not to transport your Freedom Rangers

[crperdue]

I saw firsthand today how not to transport your mature breeding stock.

I have a friend who is working with me to start a little micro-hatchery as
a hobby. We each can only have so many breeding pens on our meager
properties so he will raise some breeds and I'll work on others.

Anyway, he stopped by today to pick up some roosters for various projects.
Saipans, dark cornish, and some freedom rangers. The plan was for him
to pen some Freedom Ranger roosters with some of his very nice barred
rocks to see if we can get some real nice black sex-links.

He showed up driving a car and pulled feed sacks out of his truck. He put
several roosters in each sack and put them all back in the trunk. Then
he drove 45 minutes back home. (NOT what I would have done at all)

Guess what he had when he got home? If you guessed "dinner for
tommorow" then you win!

The saipans and cornish were fine, but the rangers were dead. Guess
they are just to big and heavy to handle treatment like that. He wasn't
trying to mistreat them, just handling chickens like he has his entire life.

Hopefully the lesson was learned. (by both of us!)

 

[drumstick diva]

What a shame!!

 

[crperdue]

Yep. What makes it worse is that these were the best ones I had to give.
Whats left just isn't as good looking.

 

[CMV]

 

[BWKatz]

Lesson learned

 

[Bearsfan]

That stinks..... Sorry to hear about your Roos.

FWIW a rubbermaid bin with the center of the lid cut out and wire attached over the hole makes a nice chicken transporter for the car. I've used one with great success. It keeps the mess and smell down because you can put bedding in the bottom and nothing can fall out on the seats.

 

[eKo_birdies]

i just use (several) airline approved dog cages that i got for free/cheap off of craigs.

i am so sorry that happened to your birds... i can only imagine how nice they were if they were to be used in your breeding. did you give your friend a good smack the next time you saw him?

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

yep, lesson learned, sorry for your loss - I'm sure your friend felt awful.

My friend and I put 40 week old CX in a box and drove home . . . opened the box to 40 almost dead chicks. It was horrible and really gross. We quickly cooled them down and they all revived and lived healthily until butcher day.
The box had ventilation (just not enough obviously) and we regularly transport layer chicks that way; but clearly the increased respiration rate and body heat of the CX was too much, at least more than we expected.