Moving 15 hours away

[Zobot0110]

I have eight chickens they’re about a year and a half old. I’m moving 15 hours away. My selfishness wants to take the chickens with me, but I’m worried that they drive and the new location and all of that would be too hard on them. Should I find them a new home near my current location or do you think it’s possible or worth the stress to move them 15 hours to my new home.

 

[Kung_pao]

They’ll be fine, leave a while before dark and drive all night. The dark will help keep the stress down. Even if one or two stresses out and croaks you’ll still be saving a ton of time and money.

 

[Mrs. K]

I would sell them and start over after I had settled in. Moving is hard on people!

If it is 15 hours, chances are you are crossing state lines. If so you need to follow state laws about moving birds. Please do it legally.

Mrs L

 

[Kung_pao]

I would sell them and start over after I had settled in. Moving is hard on people!

If it is 15 hours, chances are you are crossing state lines. If so you need to follow state laws about moving birds. Please do it legally.

Mrs L

I didn’t consider crossing state lines. The birds would be fine, birds get shipped across the country every day but there is no need to end up having them confiscated and getting a fine! Thanks for pointing that out.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

This might be an unpopular opinion but I have run chickens across state lines lots of times. Usually about a ten hour drive. I give them wet mash to eat to cut down on mess and put them in plastic dog kennels or covered wire ones. You can offer water at rest stops to cut down on mess as well. The stress of the drive isn’t that big of a deal except for the confinement aspect and it’s so short term I wouldn’t worry about that.

Edit to add: use old towels on the bottom of the kennel to prevent slipping and just throw them away when you get where you’re going.

 

[Zobot0110]

Thank you for all opinions and advice.

 

[Loving my girls]

Move them at dusk when theyre sleepy in cages of two or three with food and water. I get my hens from a van that travels around france.
Dont worry about it, they may be stressed, you may even lose a couple. I cant imagine leaving my hens behind. They are my family i would always try, you could leave them with Mrs Tweedy

 

[SkyAJK]

8 Chickens...can you fit them all in your car? Will each be in a carrier individually or with a friend?

Also think about take some extra absorbent bedding material so when they do poops in their travel carrier, it does not stink up the whole car...thinking 8 poops for 15 hours..

A few times I have drove 2 and one time 3 of my chickens 2 hours drive in the car which is nothing compare to 15 hours, they pooped a bit and I knew it straight away....

My experience was that they were each in a small dog travel box carrier, I had the radio on, I talked to them by calling out each of their name. On the way back, I did stop the car and give them some water each, they were all laying down in their travel box. I know they were tired when we get home.

If I was to drive 15 hours like you are, I would give them some vitamin drink the day before just to give them something for the long drive. They might not want to eat/drink while in the car.

Might workout how many stop you will make and how many chickens you let out to stretch legs at each stop, that sort of stuff.

Being emotional about my chickens, I would take my chickens with me when I move.

All the best with moving your chickens with you

 

[gullinkambe]

Just wanted to say; you're not at all selfish for wanting to take your animals with you to your new home. The chickens will (hopefully) live for many years, and the week of stress it takes them to get settled into their new home is soon forgotten.