Picking up chicks in a week....how to keep them warm on the hour drive home???

[yolksonus]

I am picking up my first flock of 8 day old chicks next week. I live in NH and it has been VERY cold here, and I have to drive 60-90 minutes to get home. Any ideas on how to keep the chicks warm and safe in the car? I am a newbie at this so any ideas will help! I did read on an old thread, to put hand warmers wrapped in thin towels in the box and this should keep them warm. would this keep them warm enough?
Thanks for all your help!!

 

[RJSorensen]

Do you have an old styrofoam cooler? With air holes in the side and hand warmers inside, you should be fine. Keep them tight, together, they share body heat. Keep the heater in the car turned up and blowing. But… not on the chicks, no drafts on birds. You should be able to come up with something from the above though to get you and your valuable cargo home safe. I am sure you know this, but be sure to have the brooder area setup and to temp with water for them that has warmed up to room temp. The fluff balls need every advantage you can give them.

Best to you and your chicks,

RJ

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome! Have the car warm, and the chicks boxed so that they are close together. You can have warm water bottles (Liter coke bottles) wrapped around the box in a blanket or big towel. They should be fine. Mary

 

[PapaChaz]

what age will they be, just hatched? realizing the hatcheries ship them out in cardboard boxes to the retailers and purchasers and it can take a couple days to deliver, I don't think an hour drive in a box in a heated car will harm them. I picked mine up last tuesday, 8 chicks in a box on the truck seat next to me with the heater running, they're all doing just fine....here's the box with the first 6 in it....these 6 were a week old, the other two were a day old. All chicks are doing great...

 

[yolksonus]

They will be one day old.
Thanks for all your help!!!

 

[Varglet]

Mine stay warm in a small cardboard box with the car at a comfortable, slightly warm temp for 3+ hours riding home (closest feed store is 3 hours away, and we make a couple stops on the way home).

 

[azygous]

Whatever you decide to use as warmers, just keep an eye on the chicks to make sure nothing falls over onto them and a chicks gets trapped underneath something. This is one of the big hazards of placing hand warmers in with chicks. If you make sure the chicks aren't in direct contact with a hot water bottle or a hand warmer, they will be fine.

I once had to make an exchange at a feed store and transported a single chick in the front of my shirt. It was quite content.

 

[donrae]

It really does not matter how cold it is outside. You're going to be in a car, and I'm assumming you have a heater in the car. Just have the chicks in a smallish box and keep the car comfortably warm for yourself and they'll be fine for that short a time period. Have the brooder warmed up for when you get home and they'll be good to go.