Hey all. I've been away for a while - been a busy year! We are moving about 15 miles away and I need some advice on getting our VERY HEAVY coop moved (pictured below - it's about 8X5) and on how to house our 7 hens for a day or two while we move the coop and get things all nice and comfy for them in their new neighborhood. Also, what's the best way to get them from here to there? I'm assuming a large, strong cardboard box will do the trick, but then again, I've never done this before! Thanks!
I would use a large dog carrier or kennel with hay on the bottom to move the chickens. When we moved our 8' x 12' coop, we contacted a local shed builder who had a hydraulic trailer on the back of his pickup truck. That's how he moved the shed he built to his customers' site. I'd try to look for someone like that. It worked well for us.
I agree with norwich.....call your local shed builder. His trailer will handle it for you. I had a 16' X 8" utility shed moved and I was only charged $50.00! I didn't even have to unload it!
I would think 7 hens would be fine for a day or two in something like a refrigerator box. You can get a small roll of bird netting at Home Depot for about $5 to cover it, if you don't have anything lying around. An old chest freezer with bird netting would work well, just as an example. You must have something lying around.... a piece of furniture you don't want any more, something.... I would probably knock something together using scrap lumber, scrap fencing and a garden/utility trailer designed to be pulled by a lawn mower -- but that's just what I happen to have around. You'll figure out something of the sort.
You could get a nice dog crate off of Craigslist. It might come in handy if you ever have an emergency later. Good Luck!
