Unexpected move - how to get my ducks cross country?

[Happycheese]

I might be getting a ride, or I might be taking a greyhound. Is it safe to ship adult ducks? if so, how should I do it?

 

[Kedreeva]

It would be easier (on both of you) to get a ride. Then you can pack them up into dog carriers or crates and make sure they get a break during the trip for food and water. When I moved my lone duck across the state, we took a stop at a gas station with grass and a small pond to play for a few minutes along the way.

If you have no choice but to mail them the first thing you have to understand is that it's going to be EXPENSIVE. It's also going to be stressful on them.

You can get shipping boxes here: http://www.hm-e.net/ They HAVE to be approved shipping boxes and you will HAVE to have paperwork to send them through the mail- I'm fairly certain you must be NPIP certified to move poultry/farm birds across state lines, and this includes ducks.

You'll want to for sure pack them with something wet that won't leak and make the box soggy. Some people use fruit, others have designed shipping waterers.

You'll also want to write the shipping destination on the actual box in case the label falls off, and possibly include a copy of the destination + care instructions in the event your package gets lost or ends up in the wrong hands (I've had a package of hatching eggs visit another state as a final destination, but it was returned to the post office and managed to get to me anyway).

If you're really concerned, and you want to move the ducks across the country without shipping and you can't get a ride (or rent something to move them, which might ACTUALLY be cheaper than mailing them all), you could see what we here at BYC are capable of pulling together for a bird train. There may be people willing to drive your birds a few hours at a time across the country, swapping hands along the way. This would be complicated, but might be a neat endeavor to undergo.

 

[AdamD77]

Quote:
Ooh, a ducky road trip sounds interesting!

 

[Happycheese]

Well I have 6 eggs in the bator that I already have a home for + a couple babies i had raised up that are 2 months now. I'm also selling one of the rouen mutts i have, so it will be 3 ducks total. tyvm for the link!

I'm currently in harrisburg, PA and will be going to Atlanta, GA or Fort Lauderdale, FL

 

[nettie]

I moved my pet ducks the 14 hours from Chicago to Alabama, and then from Alabama back to chicago a year later (plus a few trips in between to visit). The first time they were babies and sat in a carrier between the seats on the moving van. When I visited home, I had two full grown ducks and they were diapered in the back seat. When I moved back home for good I had four full grown ducks, so I diapered them and put them in the back seat of my car, which was being towed behind a moving truck. I packed some boxed in between the seats and placed blankets over everything sop they had a nice large area to walk around. We stopped once every two hours to rest, walk around, change their diapers, and give them a treat/water. We kept peas in a cooler we had for drinks and gave them some on stops. It was a little hot out the first part of our trip (in the south) so we also kept the windows cracked a bit and sprayed them with a water bottle on stops to keep them cool.

I don't recommend shipping adult ducks, unless you've done it before. Adult ducks do not ship well, especially if its hot. They need food and water which is not practical to ship with them. You could have casualties. the safest option is to have them ride with you, where you can keep an eye on them.

 

[Spoiledduckielady]

How would I go about putting a diaper on my grown ladies?

 

[TSOWOATNKC]

The mental image of diapered ducks on a road trip is awesome. I keep picturing them wearing shades.

 

[jennybvcr]

If you're really concerned, and you want to move the ducks across the country without shipping and you can't get a ride (or rent something to move them, which might ACTUALLY be cheaper than mailing them all), you could see what we here at BYC are capable of pulling together for a bird train. There may be people willing to drive your birds a few hours at a time across the country, swapping hands along the way. This would be complicated, but might be a neat endeavor to undergo.

I have take part in this type of activity for dog rescue - a little doggy underground railroad. It is a nightmare of logistics, but dog people are insane and I've noticed duck people (self included) are too so... if they were coming my way, I'd be a part of it!

The mental image of diapered ducks on a road trip is awesome. I keep picturing them wearing shades.

I like to always picture ducks wearing shades.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Shoes too don't forget shoes.

 

[Lil Drake40]

We’ll go on. YouTube I bet there is a video on how to diaper a duck