Moving with chickens :-(

[sawilliams]

Any chance you could put together a make shift covered run they can go in as they arrive at the new place? I wouldn't want them in anything enclosed in that heat.

Seriously? I'm not planning to stuff them in a metal shed and closing the door... I'm not stupid... as I said before I already have plans for the shed and possible situations. And no i can't just throw together some make shift run. I have like 3 days to move my whole house and family, you know the people buying the house I'm moving out of want to be able to move in too. But hey if your that worried about it your more then welcome to come start biulding it for me, just as soon as the papers and signed and i get the keys... heck you might even have a whole day or 2 head start while i unload the truck and get the last bit of cleaning at the old house done before i even load the chickens, becuase I certainly didn't plan to move the chickens first and have them locked up in a metal death trap for 3 days when they can still stay comfortable in the current coop and run for at least a few more days while i try to get everything done so i can start on a coop and run afterwards...

 

[sawilliams]

Thank you aart, I feel much better about trying to put 10 chickens in the one crate together. Hopefully mine will like the drive too

I moved 10 adult chickens in a 42"L x 28"W x 30"H crate, my first flock, there was plenty of room and they did fine on the 45 minutes drive home. Was kind of funny they all hunkered down til I got to the highway, then most stood up when the ride got smooth and straight....then when I slowed to exit they hunkered back down the rest of the ride.

 

[barred2rock]

Seriously? I'm not planning to stuff them in a metal shed and closing the door... I'm not stupid... as I said before I already have plans for the shed and possible situations. And no i can't just throw together some make shift run. I have like 3 days to move my whole house and family, you know the people buying the house I'm moving out of want to be able to move in too. But hey if your that worried about it your more then welcome to come start biulding it for me, just as soon as the papers and signed and i get the keys... heck you might even have a whole day or 2 head start while i unload the truck and get the last bit of cleaning at the old house done before i even load the chickens, becuase I certainly didn't plan to move the chickens first and have them locked up in a metal death trap

Sorry, next time I'll know better than attempt to help.

 

[sawilliams]

So the move is self wasn't as painful as anticipated, but getting them in a home was. Turned out the spare shed had way to much stuff to move and i check 3 different store's for coops before finding something large enough for temporary use and small enough to load in my sub. Oddly the girls haven't seemed to stressed about everything. We moved them Saturday afternoon and though i expected eggs on Sunday, which I believe I got 8 or 9, I still got 6 out of 10 today (well 9 becuase my one decided to stay broody). We shall see how the next few days go. Overall I didn't have the time we planned for. Originally we had hoped and planned to move Wednesday through Saturday, but didn't get keys to move untill Friday. So things have not happened like i had hoped we still have a few more things we have to set up in the house before we can focus on the coop and my husband had to go back to work tomorrow.

But as for the coop, I got 2 of those small 4-6 chicken coop and run kits and lined then up so the gitls can go back and forth between the 2. They seem ok with the setup for now though it's not enough space. Future plan though the 2 coops will be used for quarintine, rooster pad, or chick pens, once the full size coop is up.

 

[aart]

OyVey! The best laid plans and all that.
Glad you worked it out...hang in there!

 

[sawilliams]

It's been a really long week, but it will all work out... Thank you everyone for the help and advice

 

[sawilliams]

Girls are doing well, it's been a week since we moved (well a week this evening for them). They are still a little cramped for space but we are not having any pecking issues. 4 day weekend starting today so hooefully we can start the large coop. I got 2 fertile eggs from a friend for my broody to sit in about 2 days ago and they both llok to be developing, but this will be my first hatch. I let her keep the fake eggs also so she is actually sitting on 4. Once i get the coop set uo I plan to keep my broody in one of the 2 mini coops and hopefully move then closer to the main coop once they hatch.

 

[aart]

Wow, surprised she's still broody.
Best of cLuck, hang in there!

 

[sawilliams]

I was surprised she stayed broody too, by time this one hatchs she will have sat nearly 2 months straight. Unfortunately, we did lose one egg, it broke in the nest. But I've been checking the other (maybe a little to much as this is my first). I candled it tonight and actually got to see movement for the first time. The egg is due to hatch about the 20th. I have been a little extra worried becuase with one egg already getting broken I don't want her to try to stay sitting for a round 3 if things don't work out. And she's maybe just a tad too tolerant of a mama, letting me collect eggs with little more then a big puff of her feathers (which is nice as had 2 that would get so mean i had to wear heavy leather gloves) and gladly taking breaks while other hens come in to lay. I've found the fertile egg out of the nest 3 times now, twice in the next box over and once on the pan just in front of the boxes (I blame the coop design) these coop and run pens are obviously not designed for broody hen. Unfortunately, I'm still waiting on my wood shed that will be our full coop conversation, its an 8x8 ft with double doors and of course we are adding extra vents and windows there is still so much to do, but the plan is to get most of the girls out of the little coops before that egg hatches. I figure we will move mama in the small pen to the big area after the egg hatches.

Riding mower should be here Monday and shed kit here Tuesday, but i still have to finish leveling the foundation so he can work on the base frame, I've been trying to get some of the tall grass down but the gas powered weed eater is taking a toll on my shoulder

 

[Katrina89]

I was surprised she stayed broody too, by time this one hatchs she will have sat nearly 2 months straight. Unfortunately, we did lose one egg, it broke in the nest. But I've been checking the other (maybe a little to much as this is my first). I candled it tonight and actually got to see movement for the first time. The egg is due to hatch about the 20th. I have been a little extra worried becuase with one egg already getting broken I don't want her to try to stay sitting for a round 3 if things don't work out. And she's maybe just a tad too tolerant of a mama, letting me collect eggs with little more then a big puff of her feathers (which is nice as had 2 that would get so mean i had to wear heavy leather gloves) and gladly taking breaks while other hens come in to lay. I've found the fertile egg out of the nest 3 times now, twice in the next box over and once on the pan just in front of the boxes (I blame the coop design) these coop and run pens are obviously not designed for broody hen. Unfortunately, I'm still waiting on my wood shed that will be our full coop conversation, its an 8x8 ft with double doors and of course we are adding extra vents and windows there is still so much to do, but the plan is to get most of the girls out of the little coops before that egg hatches. I figure we will move mama in the small pen to the big area after the egg hatches.

Riding mower should be here Monday and shed kit here Tuesday, but i still have to finish leveling the foundation so he can work on the base frame, I've been trying to get some of the tall grass down but the gas powered weed eater is taking a toll on my shoulder

Well, good luck with the fertile egg. Your broody hen is amazing!