Moving flock to new coop 60-70 meandering yards away

[Docsflocks]

We are moving our flock from a basement garage we made into a makeshift coop while the coop was being constructed and then weather intervened here in Ohio and it took longer than we wanted it to. Now we’re trying to plan moving them a relatively short distance.My daughter is wanting to get them all in crates and move them the distance and I am wondering if there will be any chance that we could entice them the distance without having to get all 23 birds in boxes and crates. We are novices but not completely new to backyard chickens… But not looking forward to trying to crate/box them all. Any thoughts?

 

[sourland]

'Enticing' will most likely not work as chickens hate change. I feel that your daughter has the right idea.

 

[aart]

'Enticing' will most likely not work as chickens hate change. I feel that your daughter has the right idea.

Ditto Dat!

You'll want to keep them confined to the new coop(and run?) for a few days to a week to 'home' them to the new coop....or they'll go back to the old coop.

 

[Ridgerunner]

When I move chickens from my brooder in the coop to the grow-out coop I pick up two at a time and carry them, then lock them in their new location. That's usually around 20 chicks but sometimes has been as many as 25. When I carry them I keep a good hold on their legs. It's only me. The chicks are typically 5 weeks old when I do this.

My grow-out coop is at the far end of the run but since I messed up when I built it and later added electric netting. My walking route is in the range of 200 feet one way, probably a bit further. If there is a mistake that can be made I've probably made it. I should have built better access, then my walk would have been 40 feet.

I don't know how many there are of you that you trust to hold onto the legs, how you plan to box or crate them, or how you plan to move the boxes and crates to the coop. Carrying a box or crate of chickens could be awkward. I'd be surprised if you carry them that wouldn't be finished before you even have them crated or boxed. This all assumes that you don't have something going on that would prevent you from walking that much.

 

[Docsflocks]

When I move chickens from my brooder in the coop to the grow-out coop I pick up two at a time and carry them, then lock them in their new location. That's usually around 20 chicks but sometimes has been as many as 25. When I carry them I keep a good hold on their legs. It's only me. The chicks are typically 5 weeks old when I do this.

My grow-out coop is at the far end of the run but since I messed up when I built it and later added electric netting. My walking route is in the range of 200 feet one way, probably a bit further. If there is a mistake that can be made I've probably made it. I should have built better access, then my walk would have been 40 feet.

I don't know how many there are of you that you trust to hold onto the legs, how you plan to box or crate them, or how you plan to move the boxes and crates to the coop. Carrying a box or crate of chickens could be awkward. I'd be surprised if you carry them that wouldn't be finished before you even have them crated or boxed. This all assumes that you don't have something going on that would prevent you from walking that much.

We were just talking about your idea… Catching and carrying them versus catching them and crating them might be the answer.

 

[Mrs. K]

Well I think you could move them. Get a couple long handles - such as a rake or broom. Put a small pile of scratch right at the gate, and a larger pile inside the run. The trick to making his work is to GO SLOW!

Let the flock out, and let them calm down. Then stand so that the flock is between you and where you want them to be. Tap the ground beside you and take a single step forward, slowly another step, waiting until the chickens naturally move away from you, stop walking at that point. When they quit moving and start to peck at the ground, then take another step, tap the ground, step until they start to drift away from you.

Do not rush, if one or two get behind you, leave them, they will come back to the flock. Eventually you will get close enough that one will see the scratch and head to it, and late comers will see the pile inside, and they are in.

But do not chase wildly, or yell or get impatient. This is truly a case when slow is faster.

Mrs K

Otherwise - wait till dark, and gather them up in the near dark.

 

[Docsflocks]

I feel like that could work...

 

[aart]

I'd grab them off the roost after dark, shove them in as many crates as it takes, and tote the crates into the new coop and put them on the roosts.

 

[50-45-1]

When I moved my flock into their new coop, I did it after dark. Easy to catch them then. Packed them in some cages and boxes we have. Loaded them in the back of the pickup. Unloaded them into the new coop, putting them on the new roosts, and kept them in there for 2 days.
We tore down the old coop during that 2 days and they figured it out with no problem.
Good luck!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Enticing or herding would work fine if your flock was already trained to follow you. Since they've been in a garage, I have to assume not.

It'd be less work to box them up and carry them over, rather than trying to herd 23 birds and having to chase down half of them as they flee in random directions. Trust me.