Moving Day for the girls

[dianer29]

I need to get my SILKIE girls moved from run in garage to coop with 2 attached runs outside. I do not know the best /safest way to do it.I want to be sure they do not jump around so much that they break their necks or other parts. A few stayed very briefly in plasic dog carriers(hour or 2) and kept jumping up to hit the ceiling . The dog carrier was not real big (size for a Bichon ) and I had a towel on 3 sides to make them more comfortable. They freaked and wouyld not calm down. Does anyone have a tried method. I do not have or will use a net to catch them to transport them. Ideas welcomed.

 

[Penturner]

Poultry crate. they are real small for a reason.

 

[gritsar]

Move them at night, after everyone's gone to roost.
If you plan to let them free range (as opposed to being in a run) you should plan to have them locked in the new coop for about a week, otherwise when you let them out they'll more than likely try to return to their old roosting spot each night.

 

[rcentner]

Just pick them up, one by one after they have roosted for the night. They may make some noise, but you will be able to carry them quite a ways in the dark. If you have a flashlight they will be more alert. As little light as possible until they are in the new coop, then leave the light on in there so they can see what they are doing. We just moved 12 birds into a new coop and did it just that way. only a couple got scared and were a little tricky to catch.

and if you haven't handled them much, grab the legs with one hand and that will ensure that even if they try to fly, you have them. Then you can cuddle them in your arm while holding the legs.

 

[dianer29]

I am a bit nervous They will not be free range . I prob will move in dark and hold them close to me . My daugher will help too as she is good with them and I trust her to have a level head. I worry that they will hurt themselves knowing I cannot reason with them makes it hard. I cannot get a poultry box as I live on The Big Island and supplies are hard to come by for many things.Should I use flashlight so we all arrive there in one piece? We will be moving them thru the house as we have 5 dangerous pitbulls who run loose in our neighborhood and do so when their owners feel like it .My chooks will be on a screened lanai so I can keep them as safe !

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
I use a penlight flashlight whenever I have to deal with my chooks at night. Enough light for me to see by, but not enough for them to get all riled up.

Screens like the kind seen on screened porches will not protect chickens from pitbulls or other predators. They need to be protected behind hardward cloth, which is like a heavy duty screen, made of wire. NOT chicken wire, which has holes that some predators can squeeze through.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[dianer29]

Gritstar: I have been in such a distraught way since the people moved in but to stick to the issue: They will be in a coop with 2 runs that are covered inside our lanai.I have hardware cloth on the runs already placed by hubby and really thought it will not do much of anything . My chooks have been in attached locked and windowed garage in 2 covered runs with hardwarecloth
since day one They are now 8 months old and except for a shade blind to kp drafts off of them ,hubby said he is ready to move them in to coop and 2 runs attached that have the tops covered .I am so worried I have bad dreams as they are my pets and think so much of them. Help.................Hubby thinks I am dreaming up of more excuses not to get them in a better setting.........

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
They'll be fine.

 

[dianer29]

I still am going to worry about my chooks. I did not bring them to this wonderful life of theirs for someone or something to end it. Thanx for the input. I hope all goes good.