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Subscriber Letters

Kim : Love your newsletter, especially to hear about chickenfolk from all over the world! My question is this: I am preparing to move from CA, USA, to TN, USA, which is 2400 miles between. I have an assorted flock of 11 hens and 1 rooster, and must carry them the distance. I do have a truck that I had planned to use for a portable coop, but the trip will take 4-5 days driving. I wonder if anyone out there has transported chickens over the road, and how they managed. Any tips would be greatly appreciated! Thank You, Kim, the Mother Hen in California

My Reply : I think in the past someone mentioned moving chickens and I think one tip they had was to have things like melon pieces for the chickens whilst in motion because water couldn't be given until parked up due to spillage / mess (or perhaps it was as a backup to the water in case it spilled whilst they were travelling - I'm not exactly sure now, but it seemed a good tip at the time). Does anyone have any moving tips?

Linda : I have a first year hen that appears to have gone broody but it is the end of January in Oregon, with temperatures in the 30's and 40's. She is a free range hen who is in the habit of coming into her coop at the end of the day with her coop mates. She started laying an egg now and then about a month ago but I have not found any of her eggs in the nest box for some time. Two nights ago she did not return to the coop. When the other chickens came out in the morning, she joined them. Yesterday I went out to find her before they all headed to the coop and she was not to be found. We searched for her until the others were all tucked in and then made plans to watch to see where she came from this morning. She did not come out for about 2 hours after the others and then for just a little while. We do not have a rooster so if she is sitting, nothing will come of it. Are we correct in suspecting she is sitting on a nest somewhere? We do have a variety of predators about and do not want to let her stay out night after night. Any suggestions?

My Reply : If she was just missing at night then it may be she is roosting in a tree but as she is only coming out for a few minutes and then going back to wherever she came from it does seem likely that she is sitting on a nest somewhere. Some of the most common methods are on the blog here :
http://successwithpoultry.blogspot.co.uk/2009/06/how-to-stop-broody-hen-from-staying.html
If you can find her nest that might be the easiest way to catch her as she will be reluctant to run away. Just finding the nest and taking the eggs may make her reconsider as it obviously would no longer feel as secluded to her or have any eggs in for her to sit on. If you find her at night and remove her from the nest then putting her directly onto the roost with the others sleeping may be enough but if it is the

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