SAB Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 Hi everyone - advice please: am due to collect 6 chickens (4 hybrids and 2 bantams) next week - what should I use to put them in for transportation? Options I have are cardboard boxes (with airholes of course) and pet carriers, but I don't know what would be best and how many birds I could get in what. Also - what should I put in the boxes/carriers? Thanks in anticipation of your advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 Big sturdy cardboard boxes with irholes should do the trick. Nice and dark so that they go into "roost" mode on the jurney home. I just put newspaper in the bottom of mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisastyal Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 I find a cat carrier great for transporting my chickens anywhere. I only put two at the most in an average sized one as I dont like to crowd them and I use some straw on the base with a corn on the cob as a treat for the journey, this seems to distract from the fact they are travelling long enough to keep them relatively calm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helen&Lee Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 When I picked my 5 up I just used normal cardboard boxes - the breeder said they would be fine if they weren't too high. I put newspaper in the bottom,and of course airholes On reflection I could have done with wrapping a bit more parcel tape around the base of the cardboard boxes but it wasn't too much of a chore to hold the bottoms of the boxes from the car to the run Helen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbaraJ Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 I had 3 hybrids in a largish cardboard box. they were fine, i think they perfer the dark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moomin Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 I used the wire-type mesh cat carrier. Pic below. http://club.omlet.co.uk/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=27532 I covered it with a navy blanket on the way home in the car and they were fine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooks Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 I visited toys r us and begged for a sturdy box, the lady looked at me very odd when I said it was for collecting the chickens bless her heart theough she ran round to the warehouse and found me one! Have since bought a cat carrier at a carboot sale for emergency vet trips etc.. (although I hope I never need it) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsm_jones Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 I used the cardboard boxes that economy packs of nappies come in. They have handy handles at the side for carrying, and are surprisingly sturdy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisaroo2 Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 I used a cat box when I collected our three. Nowt in the bottom of the box at the time but wished I put newspaper or something as the poor things slid around the box when we went around sharp bends - oh well, you live and learn! And they survived! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sootem Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 I used three large cardboard boxes - but the breeder told me that an old sack would do My grandfather had lots of hens and when they had to move them they just put them all together in big hessian sacks I wouldn't do that though. Susanx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Watch Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 I used an A4 photocopier paper box from work. Just perfect for 1 hybrid hen. Newspaper in base, plus air holes. Not too big to rattle around and not too small either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SAB Posted May 18, 2008 Author Share Posted May 18, 2008 Thanks everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...