4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[52fish]

We collect our chickens (Bluebelle, Speckledy & Amber Link) next weekend and can't wait. Our preferred breeder also has a "hennel" (chicken version of kennel?) facility for when we're away on holiday, so we'll be transporting chickens back and forth from time to time... hence the question... what are the merits of a chicken crate over a card board box with air holes for transporting chickens? Are there any?

 

And perhaps a daft question, but when the height of chicken crates tends to be no more than 30cm, doesn't this make them naff all use for transporting older chickens, or am I missing something obvious?

 

Thanks in advance for responses!

[Egluntyne]

They will be fine in a lidded cardboard box as they go into roost mode and will snooze on the way home.

[Redwing]

Chicken crates are designed to carry large amounts of chickens in a van/lorry not for a few pets in a car. A cat carrier makes a good transport box for a couple of hens or a cardboard box is ideal just make some holes in it!

[Stedic]

We transported our three ex-batts in a cheap Argos cat carrier (£10). The journey was about an hour and a half and they were fine, we just added some newspaper to absorb the odd poo and collected our two eggs at the other end! They made coo-ing and purring noises all the way home, so can't have objected too much!

[tracyann]

I have used a cat carrier (one of the plastic ones) with newspaper on the bottom, they travel quite nicely. Depending on the size of the birds, you may find you need a larger one than the standard as some of them can be quite small. I use the standard one for one bird and the larger one for more than one bird. Already had them as I have always had cats, so they just get disinfected out in the bath after use.

[craftyhunnypie]

I've got 34 chickens to transport soon & will be using lots of cardboard boxes with holes, rolled up towels between the boxes & a van! I dread it!

Boxes & cat carriers are much better than poultry crates!

 

Emma.x

[Omletina Kyckling]

I usually use cardboard boxes too with holes in. When I moved house most girls were in cardboard boxes and one was in a small cat carrier which no longer fits my cats but I use on the rare occasion a girl goes to the vet!

[TheFeatheredFiend]

A collection of cat-carriers, cardboard boxes and dog crates!

[Olly]

I used to find the small set of wooden roosting bars from the Eglu Classic fitted perfectly into my plastic cat-carrier - I haven't tried with the plastic ones but I guess they are the same. Not essential, but it gives the hens something to grip on.

 

If you don't already have a plastic cat-carrier, it's worth investing in one - I have used it for sick hens, emergency nesting box, and a temporary roosting place when introducing a new hen.

[Mrs Webmuppet]

I have a small dog carrier ( like a cat box but bigger) it takes 3 grown up chooks in reasonable comfort. I got it from Wilkinsons. it doubles as a sick bay too.

 

http://www.wilkinsonplus.com/cat-beds+carriers/pet-carrier-large/invt/0094230/?htxt=azglONn9Vb5sRPhjJJVBxynh1YvUVfyw6wnn90aAIHMGA3scthzL24m%2FC3hephxwMbsDP4oRxnqY%0AxZ3ctQN9eg%3D%3D

[jimnpaula]

I already had 2 cat carriers for our ferrets (Ferplast atlas 20 and 40) and these were fine for transporting the 7 ex batts when I got them, and for the subsequent additions.

 

I must mention that I was quite surprised at how heavy 3-4 chickens can be! If you're going to use cardboard boxes make sure they have sturdy/supported bottoms.

 

P

[TheFeatheredFiend]

make sure they have sturdy bottoms.

All my hens have very sturdy bottoms!

[jimnpaula]

I knew that was going to generate comments!

 

P

[Leicester_H]

I used to find the small set of wooden roosting bars from the Eglu Classic fitted perfectly into my plastic cat-carrier - I haven't tried with the plastic ones but I guess they are the same. Not essential, but it gives the hens something to grip on.

 

I agree - I think they feel more comfortable if they can grip hold of something 'solid'.

 

H

[majuka]

We have two large pet carriers that each take 4 of our girls. They are very handy if the girls need to go to the vet or when we had our new ex batts before Christmas and they slept in the house because it was so cold. As has already been pointed out, several chooks can be quite heavy so I find a proper carrier rather than a cardboard box safer. I guess it all depends how often they are being moved.

[Purplemaniacs]

We used a small dog crate with an old towel in the bottom to transport our ex batts last Sunday. That seemed to work well, in the car we covered it over so that they were not too frightened during the journey.

 

Chrissie