Moving Chicks From Brooder To Pasture - The Easy Way

written by

David Boatright

posted on

March 24, 2026



Moving chicks from the brooder to your pasture can be a huge hassle!

We used to spend back breaking ours catching, crating them, moving them to our field shelters, and then unloading them by hand from each crate. 

Inevitably there were some accidents and some losses along with an immense amount of stress and work for all involved. 

After watching a video online we attempted to herd them onto a stock trailer but found that coaxing them on was more time consuming and stressful than just catching them. They had no interest in walking up a ramp and the change in environment from inside the brooder to outside totally scared them. 

Also if it was hot at all the trailer would become an oven and the chicks would crowd and yea we only did that twice before we decided it was unworkable!

I was still intrigued by the idea though as until they hit the ramp the chicks would herd easily with some large poly fiber political campaign signs (the losers signs are normally free for the taking).

So I invented a 4'x8' platform with 2' side walls that could be removed and fork holds on top instead of at the bottom. 

We put a plywood floor in it and then through used wood chips on top so that it would not appear to be any different from the brooder floor. 

With fork holes on top we could set it through our brooder door (over the retaining board) and also through the 4' wide doors of our PT1000 hoops. 

The brooded birds could then be readily herded onto these platforms "chick movers" and then the chick mover could be set on a flat bed trailer to take multiple out to pasture. 

With six chick movers and a little practice 2-3 people can easily move 2200 chicks from the brooder to pasture in a few hours with minimal stress to chicks and helpers!

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