Have you ever planned a brief vacation, only to have to cancel it because there was no one to babysit your beloved chickens? Maybe you don’t have a full size run to keep them in and they would kill each other staying locked up in the prefabricated house they sleep in at night. No matter your situation, there may be a way to take that short trip without boarding your feathered friends at the expensive exotic animal facility. The solution is to bring your chickens with you!
Last Christmas, my family decided to visit grandma for a week. We had two ducks, four chickens, two rabbits, a dog, and a cat. The trip was somewhat unplanned, and we had no time to contact our usual pet sitter. So, I told my family that we would have to travel light because I needed to fit all the animals in our two minivans. They thought I was nuts! I pointed out that I’d been writing stories about traveling with animals since I was a little kid – it wasn’t like it was a new concept to me.
If you decide to bring your chickens with you, the most important factors will be the amount of space you have in your vehicle and the number and size of fowl you have. This will determine how many crates you will need and the amenities you will be able to offer your hens. Wire dog crates work best because you can add a roost, but the plastic carriers would be fine too. Wooden crates, cardboard boxes, and plastic bins are all acceptable alternatives. Two standard sized hens can fit nicely in a medium wire dog crate, but it would be best to place only one hen in any of the other containers.
I put the two Peking ducks together in our large wire dog crate and two chickens in each of our medium crates. During the drive, each crate was equipped with a roost and pine shavings on the tray. I scattered the hens’ favorite scratch inside for them to peck at while driving but did not provide any water except when we had stopped to rest. When we arrived at my grandma’s house, after a two-day drive, we brought everyone down to the basement and set up an enclosure divided between the two groups of chickens and the ducks.
It is essential that you know your chickens’ personalities when arranging travel buddies. The bully hen should be paired with a hen who can handle her or placed in a smaller carrier by herself. When arriving at your destination, these separations should be maintained since the stress of traveling may cause the bully to take out her frustration on the lower ranking hen. All groups should be monitored periodically for signs of stress or harassment.
On our trip, I was careful to keep the temperature as close as possible to the outdoor temperature at our home. This meant we drove with very little or no heat in order to keep the chickens accustomed to colder weather. The basement at my grandma’s house was unheated and chilly, so I didn’t have to worry about them there. On the way home, it actually became a little warmer and we were able to turn up the heat a bit!
Weather is a central concern when planning a vacation with your chickens. If you are traveling in winter, it should be easy to keep the hens in the vehicle, especially if they are already accustomed to colder weather. Summer is much more challenging. It would be necessary to keep the windows open as far down as possible and park close to an electrical source in order to run an electrical cord for a fan. If the temperatures are over 70 F during the day, it is probably best to forgo your vacation until the weather is cooler.
The chickens did well down in the basement, mostly because they were separated into two groups. I keep them occupied by giving them fresh fruits and vegetables and rationing their feed throughout the day. I also kept the light off in hopes they would just sleep, but my hens are notorious for being perpetual motion machines (it wasn’t completely dark due to a few windows). In spite of the light deprivation, all the hens laid nearly every day. Nonetheless, they were very happy to get home after our four-day drive back!
I would like to share a few random tips before closing. First, bring a puppy gate for every group of two hens. It is possible for them to stay in their crates, but the gate allows for the possibility of a bigger enclosure and permits them to go outside if the weather is good. Second, always bring more of everything than what you think you’ll need. I brought two full bags of pine shavings but skimped on the food and had to make an emergency run to the store. Finally, if you are staying in a hotel, the Home2 Suites guest book says that they allow every animal short of a giraffe in the rooms…
In conclusion, if you would like to take a short vacation but don’t have anyone to watch your chickens, consider bringing them along. If you have room in your vehicle for a few dog crates, check the weather before finalizing your plans so the hens don’t freeze or suffocate. Separate the birds into groups of one or two, give them some of their favorite scratch, and don’t forget the puppy pen. Thank you for reading and have a great trip!
Resources:
Last Christmas, my family decided to visit grandma for a week. We had two ducks, four chickens, two rabbits, a dog, and a cat. The trip was somewhat unplanned, and we had no time to contact our usual pet sitter. So, I told my family that we would have to travel light because I needed to fit all the animals in our two minivans. They thought I was nuts! I pointed out that I’d been writing stories about traveling with animals since I was a little kid – it wasn’t like it was a new concept to me.
If you decide to bring your chickens with you, the most important factors will be the amount of space you have in your vehicle and the number and size of fowl you have. This will determine how many crates you will need and the amenities you will be able to offer your hens. Wire dog crates work best because you can add a roost, but the plastic carriers would be fine too. Wooden crates, cardboard boxes, and plastic bins are all acceptable alternatives. Two standard sized hens can fit nicely in a medium wire dog crate, but it would be best to place only one hen in any of the other containers.
I put the two Peking ducks together in our large wire dog crate and two chickens in each of our medium crates. During the drive, each crate was equipped with a roost and pine shavings on the tray. I scattered the hens’ favorite scratch inside for them to peck at while driving but did not provide any water except when we had stopped to rest. When we arrived at my grandma’s house, after a two-day drive, we brought everyone down to the basement and set up an enclosure divided between the two groups of chickens and the ducks.
It is essential that you know your chickens’ personalities when arranging travel buddies. The bully hen should be paired with a hen who can handle her or placed in a smaller carrier by herself. When arriving at your destination, these separations should be maintained since the stress of traveling may cause the bully to take out her frustration on the lower ranking hen. All groups should be monitored periodically for signs of stress or harassment.
On our trip, I was careful to keep the temperature as close as possible to the outdoor temperature at our home. This meant we drove with very little or no heat in order to keep the chickens accustomed to colder weather. The basement at my grandma’s house was unheated and chilly, so I didn’t have to worry about them there. On the way home, it actually became a little warmer and we were able to turn up the heat a bit!
Weather is a central concern when planning a vacation with your chickens. If you are traveling in winter, it should be easy to keep the hens in the vehicle, especially if they are already accustomed to colder weather. Summer is much more challenging. It would be necessary to keep the windows open as far down as possible and park close to an electrical source in order to run an electrical cord for a fan. If the temperatures are over 70 F during the day, it is probably best to forgo your vacation until the weather is cooler.
The chickens did well down in the basement, mostly because they were separated into two groups. I keep them occupied by giving them fresh fruits and vegetables and rationing their feed throughout the day. I also kept the light off in hopes they would just sleep, but my hens are notorious for being perpetual motion machines (it wasn’t completely dark due to a few windows). In spite of the light deprivation, all the hens laid nearly every day. Nonetheless, they were very happy to get home after our four-day drive back!
I would like to share a few random tips before closing. First, bring a puppy gate for every group of two hens. It is possible for them to stay in their crates, but the gate allows for the possibility of a bigger enclosure and permits them to go outside if the weather is good. Second, always bring more of everything than what you think you’ll need. I brought two full bags of pine shavings but skimped on the food and had to make an emergency run to the store. Finally, if you are staying in a hotel, the Home2 Suites guest book says that they allow every animal short of a giraffe in the rooms…
In conclusion, if you would like to take a short vacation but don’t have anyone to watch your chickens, consider bringing them along. If you have room in your vehicle for a few dog crates, check the weather before finalizing your plans so the hens don’t freeze or suffocate. Separate the birds into groups of one or two, give them some of their favorite scratch, and don’t forget the puppy pen. Thank you for reading and have a great trip!
Resources:
