Traveling with chickens

[Fox Ridge Farms]

Hi: I’m new to chickens and recently retired from over the road trucking so I don’t have any local long term friends I could trust to care for my girls. I have 4, 7 week old chicks, a smooth riding pick-up truck and a desire to visit my sons in 2 locations, 1000 miles away in June. I am thinking of building a small coop in the front of the bed and covering the remainder with hardware cloth for a covered run. My question is: would traveling like this (2 days-park 10 days) be too stressful. I usually split the trip into 2, 500 mile days so we would b parked at night.

 

[AgnesGray]

Glad you're here!

One thing I would worry about is the temperatures in their coop being under the sun on the road. You could put a wireless thermometer back there without any chicks in it and see what the temperatures do while on the road. What are the daily temperatures in the areas where you'll be going and traveling through? Also, would you have a way to block drafts from hitting them? Although they need ventilation, I wouldn't want air to blow on them or for it to be drafty on them. Maybe a truck cap? Being in a new place is always somewhat stressful for chickens, but if the details did work out to take them with you like this, I would make that coop their home for several days before moving the truck so they could get acclimated and you can test any issues your system may have before getting on the road.

If it were me with 4 chicks that age, I'd pull the back seats out of my truck and put a large crate in that space that can accommodate nipple drinkers and roost bars, etc. They'll enjoy the radio or you talking to them and will be out of any drafts. You could put a small coop for them in the bed of the truck that could be set up upon arrival or let them sleep in your truck with the windows cracked for ventilation.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I have a covered run, 20 gallon water tub, (wide and not deep enough to drown in.) And large tubs for feed the chickens can hop in to feed themselves. I have have been gone for 10 days, and always came home to find the chickens have both food and water. I have about 20 hens.

 

[Fox Ridge Farms]

Thanks for the feed back. Never thought of the temp monitor- I have one in their real coop but could easily move it and monitor temp while driving. I had considered heat and draft issues and think an insulated and vented attic area will protect them from heat plus the adjustable windows in the coop. Rejected using a cap over the bed because they wouldn’t have fresh air and sunshine when parked. My main concern was if it would stress them out too much. Considered making it now and taking them with me on my trips to town (45 miles) just to get them accustomed to it.

 

[Fox Ridge Farms]

Forgot to say I would be traveling from central US to the Rocky Mountains so, yep, passing thru either Kansas or Texas but it’s nice when I get there

 

[U_Stormcrow]

You have two issues. Three really.

First, that's really hard on the birds, all travel is.

Second, your overnight conditions may not be welcoming to your birds - and if they are, you have no idea what kinds of things (diseases, pests like mites...) you will be exposing your birds to.

Third, crossing State lines with chickens, legally, means a vet inspection or a VS9-3 form frm an NPIP participating flock. I'm assuming you aren't NPIP, and the vet inspection may be prohibitively expensive. (In some states, it also means stopping at every inspection station along the road)

 

[Windrider]

I agree with Stormcrow. Chickens aren't meant for travel like a pet dog.

That said, one of my favorite coop builds on this site was done by a guy who knew he was going to have to trailer his chickens to an inland property anytime there was hurricane flooding, and designed his set up accordingly. I love it when people come up with a workable solution to odd problems.

New Coop, Small, Street-legal

Later in the thread he reports that the chickens did fine during their road trip (granted, it was in-state), but the birds got to stay in their familiar coop and run for the trip.

 

[AgnesGray]

You have two issues. Three really.

First, that's really hard on the birds, all travel is.

Second, your overnight conditions may not be welcoming to your birds - and if they are, you have no idea what kinds of things (diseases, pests like mites...) you will be exposing your birds to.

Third, crossing State lines with chickens, legally, means a vet inspection or a VS9-3 form frm an NPIP participating flock. I'm assuming you aren't NPIP, and the vet inspection may be prohibitively expensive. (In some states, it also means stopping at every inspection station along the road)

Great point about crossing state lines with poultry. Especially with the avian influenza outbreak going on right now.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Great point about crossing state lines with poultry. Especially with the avian influenza outbreak going on right now.

While I'm not fond of Gov't intrusions into our day to day, I find myself understanding and largely agreeing with where that particular line in the sand has been drawn - and suspect, with AI in the news, that any Gov't Agent you do encounter enquiring about your travelling chickens is likely to be "less forgiving" than might normally be the case.

 

[Liza728w]

Hi: I’m new to chickens and recently retired from over the road trucking so I don’t have any local long term friends I could trust to care for my girls. I have 4, 7 week old chicks, a smooth riding pick-up truck and a desire to visit my sons in 2 locations, 1000 miles away in June. I am thinking of building a small coop in the front of the bed and covering the remainder with hardware cloth for a covered run. My question is: would traveling like this (2 days-park 10 days) be too stressful. I usually split the trip into 2, 500 mile days so we would b parked at night.

I moved across the country from Oregon to Ohio with my two serama hens just last month. It took about 5 days straight of driving and we covered over 2,000 miles. Both girls did amazingly in a doggy carrier with fleece underneath them. I had them in my car with me while driving, then we slept in a heated RV each night. They got to be held a few times a day and were very content, no drop in eating or drinking. They laid eggs the whole way there. I got them used to the carrier by feeding them some treats in it about a week in advance. I also got them used to the car in advance by strapping them in and driving around for a few mins, which I did probably 3 times before we officially left. That might be overkill, but my girls live indoors as my pets. LOL. Hope this helps give you some more insight.