Need some moving tips!

[Austria414]

So we are moving roughly 5-6 hours away. Staying in the same state. We are moving 14 hens. We built an enclosed wooden crate in the bed of our truck. It has tons of air holes for movable air. Any tips on moving chickens? This is our first time. Would the wooden crate be a smart move?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

To answer your question, I can say that my daughter and SIL took 6 of my best laying hens from Oregon to Tennessee in the back of a small trailer, pulled behind their truck, that had a wired gate enclosure (about 10? years ago). The hens did fine. Place some apple slices for nourishment and moisture for them. They even got a few eggs on the way (it took about 4 or 5 days?). Other proof that chickens move just fine, my grandparents traveled from South Dakota to Oklahoma in the 30's in Conestoga wagons after the farm failed with the dust bowl. They placed a flock of chickens in the wagon tail gate, let them out to forage in the evening, to roost on the axles, then put them back into the tail gate as they traveled. They got a few eggs along the way.

Having said all THAT (you will successfully, easily move them), be prepared in these days of Avian Influenza that the locals probably won't appreciate you're moving said hens. Many on this list will have a strong opinion that you should sell said birds and simply get new ones to avoid cross contaminating the population, or at the very least clearance from a vet.

Simple answer, have a small enclosure, hay bedding on the floor, secure sides, top, gate, they'll be fine. Complex answer is it may be a poor idea depending upon your AI exposure.

LofMc

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

I just took 15 chickens on an 8 hour road trip. Piece of cake lol. The wind in the bed of a pickup will probably be traumatic for them so you will want to have ventilation at the bottom but cover the top. A good tip I learned recently is to make them a nice mash from their regular feed-it is less mess and helps them hydrate when water is getting spilled and sloshed around

 

[3KillerBs]

Can you move them at night? The darkness will help calm them.

 

[Mrs. K]

Do consider the possible disease transfer, either from your birds or to your birds. Different places, have different diseases. If you bring something in to your neighbors, probably not going to be real popular.

Mrs K

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

If your birds have been in a covered run I wouldn't worry about transporting avian influenza. The real spread isnt caused by chickens being toted around in pickup trucks-its migratory birds pooping on things chickens eat. And you have zero control over that. My birds went from my covered run to their new homes and they and their new flocks are perfectly fine. You aren't mixing your birds with someone else's-youre just moving them to new dirt. While I understand why people on this forum would be concerned, the most practical threat is actually to your birds once they hit new dirt.

 

[Mrs. K]

There are other diseases than Avian Flu. And yes, diseases go both ways.