Road Chicks?

[Toetwo]

I know show birds do a lot of traveling but what about your basic, free range, almost feral chickens? We are going to move to a second home (mother's, where some of our chickens spent their chickhood) for six weeks this summer while renovations happen at our home. We are about to rehome our rooster which means we could, in theory, bring our hens with us for those six weeks.

Or leave them here and hire on our chicken sitter to do chicken care. Ca-ching.

Any thoughts on that? Is it crazy to move the hens for such a long/short time? I know they might stop laying eggs. I know I have to be sure I have a save place for them in the city. (I would never forgive myself if I lost my hens in the city.) I know the city ordinances. (6 hens, no roo. Our neighbors are totally cool and want chickens themselves and so highly unlikely to count.)

I also know leaving them here with excavators and loud hammering might be upsetting for them, too. We are also going to be changing their coop/run area . . .

I love my hens and thus, selfishly, would miss them. And would worry about them if not with them.

Oh heck, I will worry about them either way.

Sigh.

Just curious what others think. It is probably a no brainer: leave them where they are. . . They have endured excavators and new coops in the past. (We are on our 8th rendition of the chicken coop since we moved here with our chickens 4 years ago. Just saying. The girls are used to change.)

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I would do what makes you more comfortable and happy. You alone know if your birds can handle confinement. You can always try moving them than see how they deal with it. I personally would feel better keeping my birds with me. I would always be wondering what is going on with them.

 

[azygous]

Yes, this is a double-edged sword, all right. While chickens do not handle change well at all, they are generally impervious to noise and commotion, yet anything can go wrong in your absence that a chicken sitter might overlook or not be able to deal with.

For example, if a chicken begins to get sick, you might notice and be able to start treatment in time, but a sitter wouldn't catch the difference in behavior and a chicken could die before a problem was noticed.

I would feel better taking my chickens with me for the six week period.

 

[Toetwo]

Thanks for the feedback. I was expecting the opposite--that I'm being too namby pamby about the hens. Glad others side with taking them with me! Now to begin to set up for the trip and the landing (setting up safe situation for them at Providence, RI.)

Thanks again!!