Transporting Chickens

[MagpieDucks]

How do you keep them from rolling and sliding around the seat? It seems alot of work for them to still get hurt in a short distance ride.veey short distance

Oh wait no, a seatbelt!

 

[hbhoffman]

If they are young chicks or need an emergency food, I love Grogel! It's a gel with electolytes and supplements that's easy to mix up and for them to eat with very little mess. I have successfully used it for shipping an older POL pullet. I have used both a storage crate drilled with 1.5" holes using a hole saw and dog crates. Recently I saw someone who gently wrapped the chickens in newspaper and taped it for an emergency rescue (Hurricane Irma). It allowed them to transport the flock in a small car without harm. Brilliant!

 

[path.otto]

I didn't even think about that!
We have an Omlet Eglu Cube. It's bigger than the Go Up but at least that way the girls will still be in their "home" if we do have an emergency where we have to pack up & move indefinitely.
Not something to take them on a weekend to the lake tho!

BTW you could try chicken diapers. Your chicken could roam around the deck & poops would be contained!
(Note: I just got mine & trying to get them used to it. They act like they're possessed or drunk with it on. It's funny and pathetic at the same time. TBD on whether it will work or not!)

The Cube is what got me thinking that chickens might be doable! That was our first purchase from Omlet. Had our five juvenile chickens for about four weeks when I saw an add on Craig's list for the Go Up and four chickens (one of which turned out to be a rooster and was re-homed with my vet.) This was my first experience with "chicken math"! Have since gotten their fencing which was fine until our neighbor's dog got tangled in it and destroyed one complete panel and until the hawks started their migration. Then I got their walk-in run and attached the Cube and Go Up to it. The girls have about 130 sq. ft. of safe area now.
I would probably have been better off building a traditional coop and run, but I'm too far into it to switch directions at this point. And, I probably wouldn't have gotten chickens in the first place. That would be sad because I derive a lot of pleasure from them!

 

[peckpeckpeck]

The Cube is what got me thinking that chickens might be doable! That was our first purchase from Omlet. Had our five juvenile chickens for about four weeks when I saw an add on Craig's list for the Go Up and four chickens (one of which turned out to be a rooster and was re-homed with my vet.) This was my first experience with "chicken math"! Have since gotten their fencing which was fine until our neighbor's dog got tangled in it and destroyed one complete panel and until the hawks started their migration. Then I got their walk-in run and attached the Cube and Go Up to it. The girls have about 130 sq. ft. of safe area now.
I would probably have been better off building a traditional coop and run, but I'm too far into it to switch directions at this point. And, I probably wouldn't have gotten chickens in the first place. That would be sad because I derive a lot of pleasure from them!

Me too!
We kept researching different coops but all the wooden ones looked totally beaten up after 1 year! Figured it was all the rain here in Oregon.

But chicken math is definitely catching up with me!! We need more room. Working on renovation some plastic kids playhouses to add.
Send pix of your setup! Would love to see!

 

[Momma hen quack]

I just transported 5 full grown Guineas to a friend an hour away and used a giant dog cage that I had on hand. No casualties and the Guineas were fine upon arrival. Moved them cage and all into my friend's small SUV and then she drove another hour in the dog cage to their new coop.

 

[Momma hen quack]

Forgot to say that I used dog training pads to line the dog cage as I also have those on hand.. less messy than corn cob bedding or pine shavings ...

 

[path.otto]

Me too!
We kept researching different coops but all the wooden ones looked totally beaten up after 1 year! Figured it was all the rain here in Oregon.

But chicken math is definitely catching up with me!! We need more room. Working on renovation some plastic kids playhouses to add.
Send pix of your setup! Would love to see!

Here are pictures of the WIR. @aart had a neat idea to use mulch, leaves and grass clippings in the run so I have a 4" layer of cypress mulch. When the chicks get that spread out I will put more mulch and then the leaves down. This is a work in progress.

This winter I will wrap the N and West side with contractor's plastic. The run is anchored so we will see about the wind. Here are some pics from today.

 

[peckpeckpeck]

No! You can hook them both up at the same time to the walk in run???
Dang it @path.otto now I have to rethink my plans!
Is that just tarp zip tied on top of the runs?

 

[path.otto]

No! You can hook them both up at the same time to the walk in run???
Dang it @path.otto now I have to rethink my plans!
Is that just tarp zip tied on top of the runs?

Yes, but you may not be able to put them both on the same side unless you get the 3m x 3m WIR. On the Cube I have sewn to fit 1/2 clear tarp (although it doesn't look very clear in the photo) and 1/2 reflective silver tarp for protection from rain, wind and sun. PITA to do that! The Go Up just has a tarp that I have folded to fit. It works. Most of the tarps are attached with bungees of one type or another. I like the ones you can get from Omlet best. Next best are the bungee loops that go around a ball. That's what is holding the tarp on top of the WIR.

I was concerned that the restored prairie behind them would be good cover for predators but I haven't had any issues yet. I do have nightmares about raccoons being able to open the hatches, though!

 

[path.otto]

Now, if I could just figure out a way to hook them up to the RV so we could take them with us.... we'd be regular Beverly Hillbillies!