taking chicks on vacation?

[dftkarin]

Okay - this is probably silly but here goes: My chicks are hatching on 7/9, and arriving on 7/11 and the first week in August I am planning to drive 2 hours (with my 10 year old and our dog) to spend a week with relatives. The chicks will be less than 4 weeks old so may be mostly indoors, and I want to handle them a lot when they are little. Should I consider taking them with us on vacation? I could travel with them in a pretty big dog carrier. If I leave them home, a responsible good friend can tend to them (feed, water, clean the poop) but they probably won't get handled as much - and I'll probably miss them!

 

[smpezzi]

We just took our 17 babies on a 6+ hour drive to the U.P. just loaded food water brooder up and away we went. Because it was such a long drive we made a couple of water stops along the way rather than having water sloshing all around on the chicks but they did great just make sure that you take extra shavings along especially since you will be staying with someone and check with them to be sure they don't mind you bringing them with you but I say go for it. Ours are already well traveled.

OH the babies are now almost 5 and 6 weeks so they were 4 and 5 weeks when we went.

 

[amyquilt]

I'd take them with, for sure.

We have three 5 week old Silkies and if we were to travel, they'd go right along.

I keep them in a rubbermaid tub as our brooder. Right now, they go into their coop during the day and at night are indoors in the brooder.

 

[JennsPeeps]

The average distance your food (industrially-produced) travels to get to you is 1,500 miles.

Not sure how that affects the statistic if you're taking layer pullets with you on vacation!!