Moving from Farm to Subsurbs with Chickens

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ChickenJoeRanch

ChickenJoeRanch

Hatching
5 Years
Jan 29, 2014
8
0
7
Hello! We have 6 chickens, assorted breeds, and 2 Indian Runner Ducks.

The problem is, we are moving from a house with acreage to a house in the suburbs.

Here is our plan:

1. Give our two ducks to our old horse boarder (we are friends and they will take great care of them!)
2. Rip up & relocate hen house (already have plan set up)
*Meanwhile, the chickens will stay in a stall during the night... They have done it before and grew up in one so they should be fine.
3. Disassemble Coop... How and do we need it? (I will go over this later)
4. Set up new "free-range" plan (they will use half our lawn, a large square plot with plenty of room and privacy
5. Transport chickens (HOW?!)

So, we live in Washington, where some hawks and eagles live. Other animals aren't an issue because we have a fully enclosed yard with private fence. Sorry if I'm rambling, but we are debating if we bring the coop (which is as tall as the large coop and spans around two sides, making it 2x bigger. The only reason we would do this is for the birds of prey, but are wondering if that is a problem in our area... Have been accustomed to birds of prey constantly flying around an in many cases, stealing our chickens!

Also, does anyone have experience disassembling a coop (cage enclosure)? It's held in by support beams underground. Problem is removing the chicken wire without destroying, removing supports and frame, and bringing it all over to be reassembled (possibly differently) or stored (depending on previous paragraph). Come to think of it we do have access to a big pickup with a long bed and tall canopy!

Another small issue is transporting. Back of a pickup truck in a net is out of the picture. They're family, not poultry! I guess we could use a pickup with a canopy in safe cages going 5 mph! The main route is only 5 mins but includes many hills, noises, etc. This can be avoided with an alternate route that includes a smooth dirt road and only one long upward hill. Also meaning we an go slower!

We've also heard that if you put them in your car, your chickens go crazy being seperated from half their group for even a half an hour.

How do you suggest going about this?
-Transportation (Chickens & Enclosure)
-Enclosure (Protection from birds of prey)

Thank you we will take any advice or opinions!
 
Alright
welcome-byc.gif
great to have you here
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Well that hasn't been any help.

Lots of people move chickens by SUV or car. I think they prefer to have individual cages and throw a towel over them so the birds don't see out. Maybe playing some nice music on the radio would drown out noises.

Regarding the coop, are you legally allowed to have chickens in your suburban are or planning to have them stealthly? I'm asking because stealth requires - well, some stealth, like coops that don't look like coops. They look more like garden sheds or playhouses.,
maybe surrounded by bushes or trellis with climbing plants, or even bamboo screening.


I'm sure hawks and other predators find their way to the suburbs, they sure do here. Can't even put up bird feeders because the Kestrels etc., are just waiting to pick them off as they eat.

It would be good to have a covered outside pen for them to prevent hawks and others from dropping in for lunch. They could range in other parts of the yard if someone is there watching them (or the sky). Be aware that coyotes and foxes can jump much higher than you imagine. Or dig under, like raccoons - and most can climb well also. Raccoons have opposable thumbs and can open pretty much any latch that you can. Their MO is to reach thru wiring and eat off any body parts they can snag. Consequently they cause horrific pain and suffering and death to anything they can nab.

Strong 1/2" hardware cloth used instead of chicken wire, is much safer. Oh and by the way
welcome-byc.gif
. You could also ask in the search box for "How to transport chickens?"
 
Quote:
You may feel like they are family but they are still poultry, so any pet carrier type cage, cardboard boxes, or totes with air holes can get your birds where they need to be...you only have six. They can ride inside the car if you like, they act the same inside the car as in the back of a truck. They do just fine either place. You don't have to go slow or avoid bumpy or twisty roads...chickens are not glass and they will do just fine. I've transported chickens across the state and many here transport them across several states to shows and they all pretty much ride the same way...as soon as the vehicle starts to move they settle down, brace themselves and ride well. Better than most pets/animals.
 

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