So I got myself into a problem 😆

[StinkyAcres]

Yes they are my babies! I get too attached.

Okay, I can understand that; I do the same. I just saw some breeds in your list that would be good candidates to rehome because of their predisposition to reproductive issues which often shorten their lives considerably. It would save you the heartbreak.

 

[Chickenclaude]

You can set up 30 gallon trash can auto feeders like 5 or 6. You can also get a 30 gal+ plus plastic bin for a chicken waterer with nipples. If you have enough of this set up you can leave for weeks and they would be fine. Use your imagination

I have a ring that records around my ckn house. I can watch them by going live. From anywhere. It’s worth it.

 

[NC_Quail]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I unfortunately don’t agree with many of the other commenter’s opinions about being able to sell your chickens for “a lot of money”. The chickens shortage/economy has changed things a bit, but in general, it is very hard to make a living off of being a farmer. Especially if you are too attached to your chickens to sell them. I’m afraid you’re going to have to choose between being able to travel and being able to farm. Finding someone who is willing to take care of 100+ chickens while you are away will be exceedingly difficult, I think.

Just my two cents!

 

[LouiseG]

So.... I am up to 120 chickens and have more on the way and I don't want to be a true farmer. Like staying home and not having a vacation to the OBX every year. But there's no one that can chicken sit so I am thinking about letting my numbers go down for now and still putting that incubator to good use. Selling the chicks to be able to go... because it's getting really expensive to rent a beach house. Do you think if I raised started pullets and hatched and sold chicks I would make money over time? Would I sell any? What should I sell them for?
I am also taking trapping school for coyotes to help a farmer down the road that is having problems with them killing his chickens and dragging them off into the woods. I can sell a coyote hid for 25 dollars each ruffly.
Any opinions are welcome! Thanks for your input!

I have feed buckets and waterer's set up and a fully enclosed chicken run that gives them access to the coop and nesting boxes (the nesting boxes drop the eggs out of the back to a collection trough) so I have left them for up to 10 days and they never ran out of food or water and never were in danger from predators. I put these feeders into buckets - 2 bags of feed fill 3 buckets:
https://www.amazon.com/sspa/click?i...-4-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

Then I cut holes in two buckets and put water lift floats on them with a garden hose attached - whenever the water level drops the water fills back up: https://www.amazon.com/Filter-Adjus...B07Z3G6QC8&psc=1&ref_=pd_basp_d_rpt_ba_s_14_t

 

[knurse1]

So.... I am up to 120 chickens and have more on the way and I don't want to be a true farmer. Like staying home and not having a vacation to the OBX every year. But there's no one that can chicken sit so I am thinking about letting my numbers go down for now and still putting that incubator to good use. Selling the chicks to be able to go... because it's getting really expensive to rent a beach house. Do you think if I raised started pullets and hatched and sold chicks I would make money over time? Would I sell any? What should I sell them for?
I am also taking trapping school for coyotes to help a farmer down the road that is having problems with them killing his chickens and dragging them off into the woods. I can sell a coyote hid for 25 dollars each ruffly.
Any opinions are welcome! Thanks for your input!

You could put in several 4" pvc tunes fit feed and have a continuous water system with little droplets for them to get water. It works really well for us and then you just have to
Have someone collect your eggs. And0 that is never a problem.

 

[jeepone]

So.... I am up to 120 chickens and have more on the way and I don't want to be a true farmer. Like staying home and not having a vacation to the OBX every year. But there's no one that can chicken sit so I am thinking about letting my numbers go down for now and still putting that incubator to good use. Selling the chicks to be able to go... because it's getting really expensive to rent a beach house. Do you think if I raised started pullets and hatched and sold chicks I would make money over time? Would I sell any? What should I sell them for?
I am also taking trapping school for coyotes to help a farmer down the road that is having problems with them killing his chickens and dragging them off into the woods. I can sell a coyote hid for 25 dollars each ruffly.
Any opinions are welcome! Thanks for your input!

So, even if you let your numbers go down, you will still need a chicken sitter for however many you keep. Or are you saying you do have options if you have less birds.
If you have a school with a 4H group, you may be able to find one of them willing to make a few bucks taking care of the birds.
We had a hard time finding a bird sitter ourselves for our yearly two week OBX trip. But we did and she also helps us for other shorter trips ao we aren't constantly tied to the "farm". It is not cheap to have a sitter either.
I totally understand about expensive beach houses. We've rented the same house in Kitty Hawk for 11 years. But this year we are taking our camper to Rodanthe for the two weeks and it costs less than half of the price of the house. The house has about triples in cost over the 11 years. Crazy.

 

[JeannieTheiss]

Keep in mind roughly half of what you hatch will be Roos.

 

[bettyandtaco]

So.... I am up to 120 chickens and have more on the way and I don't want to be a true farmer. Like staying home and not having a vacation to the OBX every year. But there's no one that can chicken sit so I am thinking about letting my numbers go down for now and still putting that incubator to good use. Selling the chicks to be able to go... because it's getting really expensive to rent a beach house. Do you think if I raised started pullets and hatched and sold chicks I would make money over time? Would I sell any? What should I sell them for?
I am also taking trapping school for coyotes to help a farmer down the road that is having problems with them killing his chickens and dragging them off into the woods. I can sell a coyote hid for 25 dollars each ruffly.
Any opinions are welcome! Thanks for your Help and input!

Help the farmer down the road build a secure chicken run and hen house to keep his chickens safe from predators. Baiting coyotes with chickens is unethical and cruel. Until you learn to keep flocks away from hungry animals don't raise more chicks.

 

[GirlsHuntToo]

Help the farmer down the road build a secure chicken run and hen house to keep his chickens safe from predators. Baiting coyotes with chickens is unethical and cruel. Until you learn to keep flocks away from hungry animals don't raise more chicks.

No I don't bait them with chickens! Coyote pee or freezer burned meat work good. He does but some how the coyotes get in and they are also impacking the turkey and deer population on the farm as well.

 

[Chicken Lady 09]

What does your market look like? I see chicks on craigslist being sold for next to nothing. $3-10 each or pullets and layers $10-$20 each.
I’d be curious to hear others advice on what to do during vacation time. I’m gonna be gone for sometime this summer and don’t have a sitter either.

Look for local poultry groups on Facebook if you use it. Maybe you'll find someone willing to help out. Maybe even find someone here?