Re: opinion on flock-moving?

In article <JnlYh.30393$M.13048@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
0tterbot <spl@xxxxx> wrote:
wondering if anyone has an opinion:

my new chook complex is now very nearly complete & i have to move the big
flock. i have moved my three littlies weeks ago, which was harder than i
thought - i asked them to follow me, which was fine for about 20 metres,
then they got nervous. i lured them another 10 metres with food, but after
that they just wouldn't come any further as they were too far beyond their
comfort zone. in the end i picked them up & carried them (which they didn't
like whatsoever because they were already beginning to stress by then, but
they got over the affront of it all.) my four newbies are already in, so no
problem there.

the other flock is 3 mature isa browns, and 7 game hens. the isas will
follow me & the gamies will follow them, but i truly don't think i'll be
able to lure them all the entire way without losing a game-hen or two (they
have no attention span at all!!), and once _they_ become stressed and panic,
it's on for young & old & you can't catch them.

my ideas:
1: use several pieces of meat on string to keep everyone's full attention &
move them all along as quickly as possible, & hope it works. my boys are
quite good at "herding" & could try to make sure they don't break, but if
they break it's going to be hopeless. if they get to a certain point & won't
go any further it's going to be hopeless too.
2: wait until they roost at dusk, then go in & put them in boxes & then put
them in the new place.

I'd pick option 2. I've just had to clip wings and decided to wait
until dark & do it in torchlight - very easy than the efforts a few
hours earlier...

A local organic place I know has to move their flock (110 birds) into a
new field every 3 months (soil assoc rules) - they wait until it's dark
and they're all inside their coop - which has skids - then they drag them
by tractor...

Gordon
.