Show off your temporary bird containment methods

[aart]

I use small wire crates.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...rates-a-good-tool-for-every-chickeneer.72619/

I like yours @Redhead Rae..they have stuck in my mind since I first saw you post them a while back. One thing tho, how tall are they, is it easy to reach down and grab bird when you need too?

 

[X_and_Z]

I use 24"x24"x36" dog crates with the pans removed and ex-pens with lids/tops since these are things I have laying around.

I have seen people use soft ex-pens like below with shavings in the bottom and liked the idea - they are very compact when not in use, are light weight and can be found fairly cheaply.

 

[CapricornFarm]

I guess a brooder counts as temporary containment....

 

[Redhead Rae]

I like yours @Redhead Rae..they have stuck in my mind since I first saw you post them a while back. One thing tho, how tall are they, is it easy to reach down and grab bird when you need too?

We used what we had, which was 4’ high welded wire. I don’t have a problem reaching the birds, but then again, I’m 6’1”. My SIL can reach in and get them and she is average height. If the bird is smart and flattens to the ground, she can have a hard time. You could chop it down to a more manageable height for you, but I would create more rigid lids because the birds could fly up and work their way out of the snow fencing. The 4’ height makes it harder for them to do that.

 

[aart]

You could chop it down to a more manageable height for you

At 5-4 I would have to make them shorter for sure.

 

[o0Zilla0o]

good inspiration, hope more will show some pic.

 

[Redhead Rae]

good inspiration, hope more will show some pic.

Your wish is my command! I just remembered I have two other temporary containment methods that we've built.

Sorry for the picture quality, but I forgot to take the pictures when we were constructing them because we were running out of daylight. I took one of the wire cages I use for my temporary holding cells and cut it in half. There are an even number of horizontal wires in the cylinders so I cut half way between the two middle wires leaving them sticking out. I folded the wires over to a 90 degree angle from the sides, cut a piece of scrap 1/4" plywood that had been left out in the rain into the size for the bottom and placed it down the center, the bent prongs held the bottom in place. I cut a similar sized piece for the top, drilled holes through the plywood and ziptied it too the wire. I made these cages like this because I was taking these birds to auction and the cages went with them.

So, last week I had a really brilliant idea. We had two 18 gallon totes that I had cut holes in to use as nest boxes. The birds liked them just fine, but there was a design flaw. I cut the hole in the long side. I went out to the chickens one day in October (mid 60s-70) and found one of the nest boxes tipped over with the hole facing the ground. I picked up the box and it felt heavy. I found one of my Leghorn cross girls inside, dead from overheating. If the hole were in the narrow end, that wouldn't have happened. So we stopped using them as nest boxes and they became cat beds for our mouser.

The other day, I was looking for a small tote I could take into my coop to pull out some chicks and I thought, "That tote would be perfect if I could cover the hole." *LIGHT BULB!!!* So I talked to my FIL (he lives with us and likes small projects like this) if he could use bolts to hold some of our scrap hardware cloth over the hole. He came up with an even better idea. Since most of our scrap was cut from other projects, it has prongs sticking out on most sides. So he drilled holes to stick the prongs through from the inside and bent them over on the outside of the tote. This holds it securely in place and won't injure the birds held inside! It is a good size for moving 1-3 adult birds a short distance (depending on size).

 

[Redhead Rae]

Oh and if I were going to use the tote as a transport crate, I think I would do a similar wire treatment to the lid (for airflow) as well as drill holes through the lid and body so I could ziptie the lid shut.

 

[Farm life101]

I used a tote and cut a hole in it and zip tied some wire on it. works well

 

[SueT]

I have a largish lightweight birdcage that I got at a thrift store for $5. I've used it as a broody buster, and also to take chickens to the poultry swap. For this crested cockerel I turned it on end so his crest and tail wouldn't hit the top and get messed up. When in its normal position, it has a tray that slides under it. I threw shavings in, under, and around it, in this situation.