Time Management and chickens

[lohrn4]

Hi, I have a rather complicated question which didn't seem to fit well in any particular forum so I hope this one is OK. First, I don't have chickens but I've wanted them for years. I have an access of fenced in property and an additional fence in area that would be perfect,I think, when they don't get to free range. I do not have a coop yet. I do have 3 small dogs and 3 cats who have the run of the yard. I also have a husband who is not interested in the upkeep but will make me breakfast in bed! My question has to do with my job. My schedule is very different since I work in two different client's houses and the hours differ as well. Here is my schedule unless I have an errand to run then I might be a half hour to an hour later. Asleep, these times are when I leave and get home. Sun 7p- 9a, Mon 6p-3a, Tues 7p-9a, Wed 6p-3a, Thur - off, Fri 12a-8a, Sat 6p-3a. My question is this. Do I have any time to properly care for 3-4 chickens? And one more, will my adult chickens be safe from my animals? Thank you. I hope I did this right.

 

[Eilsel]

I'm not an expert, as I don't have my own chickens yet, I'm still in the planning stage, but my parents have always had chickens and I've read a lot on BYC while planning my chicken management.

I think the more time you spend away from your chickens the more important a predator proof coop and run is, because you won't be there to keep an eye out for them. If your run is predator proof you can leave the pop door open all the time. If you don't want the expense of a really tough run, while your husband doesn't want to deal with the "upkeep" if he would be willing to open the pop door on mornings you're not there and close it on evenings when you're not there, it seems like you're home plenty of time to take care of feeding, watering, and cleaning. If he doesn't want to do that you can get an automatic pop door, as it seems like you'll be there often enough on the off-chance there's a malfunction and you have to open or close it manually. You can get feeders and waterers that you only have to fill once a week, and if you set up your coop and run with deep litter you very rarely have to clean anything out... and even without I think you can get away with only scooping poop once or twice a week otherwise.

There is lots of good information here on BYC, searching the forums has answered almost any question I have thought of so far. Welcome to the community!

 

[nminusyplusm]

You can definitely do it and you're thinking about it and approaching it the right way, too!

My situation is not the same as yours but the solutions kind of are: I'm chronically ill and was worried I wouldn't be able to look after them properly. So the issues I needed to check off were:

1) coop and run must be predator proof and large enough.
2) coop has no pop door, that way they can let themselves out and put themselves to bed.
3) 5 gallon bucket/pvc feeder and waterer with horizontal nipples must hold several weeks worth and be as hygienic as possible.
4) waterer must be self de-icing in winter.
5) integrated storage to eliminate daily/weekly hauling of supplies.
6) deep litter management must be easy and minimal.

With these concerns addressed in my coop design process, I am very happily surprised at how easy and fun chickening turned out to be.

 

[lazy gardener]

You have 3 dogs, and 3 cats. And you are able to manage them???? Yes! Chickens are not that difficult. If you build your coop/run to be predator proof, you can certainly manage a small flock. Your coop/run will need to: have a minimum of 4 s.f./bird in coop and 10 s.f. in run per bird. It will need to have a buried skirt. All wire should be 1/2" welded hardware cloth. It will need to be very well ventilated, have natural lighting, and meet other spacing parameters. @aart has an excellent article to help you with that. At all costs, avoid the little pre fab doll house coops. They are falsely advertised, poorly made and over priced. I have yet to see one that actually is appropriate in design to meet needs of birds or owner! Putting your general location in your profile will help folks to give appropriate advice.

 

[lohrn4]

Thank you for all your advice! It sounds like if I plan everything well, I should be able to have a modest amount of hens. I think I kept thinking that the days I get home at 3 was a little too early to wish them a good morning so I'd have to go to sleep for a bit then get up and feed them then go back to sleep. But I see the most important part is making my run predator proof. Thank you.

I'm not an expert, as I don't have my own chickens yet, I'm still in the planning stage, but my parents have always had chickens and I've read a lot on BYC while planning my chicken management.

I think the more time you spend away from your chickens the more important a predator proof coop and run is, because you won't be there to keep an eye out for them. If your run is predator proof you can leave the pop door open all the time. If you don't want the expense of a really tough run, while your husband doesn't want to deal with the "upkeep" if he would be willing to open the pop door on mornings you're not there and close it on evenings when you're not there, it seems like you're home plenty of time to take care of feeding, watering, and cleaning. If he doesn't want to do that you can get an automatic pop door, as it seems like you'll be there often enough on the off-chance there's a malfunction and you have to open or close it manually. You can get feeders and waterers that you only have to fill once a week, and if you set up your coop and run with deep litter you very rarely have to clean anything out... and even without I think you can get away with only scooping poop once or twice a week otherwise.

There is lots of good information here on BYC, searching the forums has answered almost any question I have thought of so far. Welcome to the community!

 

[Latestarter]

Greetings and welcome to BYC! So glad you joined us. There's a wealth of info, knowledge and experience shared in the multitude of threads. Browse around and see what interesting stuff you can find. By all means post away when the desire strikes you, especially if you have questions (provide as much detail/info as possible and pictures truly help)... With all the great folks here, generally someone will respond in no time at all. Please make yourself at home!

I see absolutely no reason why you can't have and enjoy some back yard chickens. First though, you need to be sure they are allowed where you live. You don't need the law coming down on you. Since most of the time, you are working nights, you can feed before leaving and again in the morning when you get home. There are lots of ideas here for large container feeders and waterers where you wouldn't even need to do this daily aside from wellness checks.

Second, as stated above, you need to have a really secure area; coop and run, where they will be safe while you're away. The #1 killer of chickens and other small livestock is dogs... strays, your neighbor's, and YOURS! You need to make sure the enclosure you put around the coop ad run is secure enough to prevent this and other predators (remember, some dig and some like weasels can fit through a quarter sized hole) from getting to them.

The coop should be large enough to provide ~4 square feet of space per bird. Make allowances for larger if you'll feed and water inside unless these items are suspended up off the floor. They should also have a minimum of 10 square feet per bird in the run. more in both spaces is always better if you can do it. Coop placement, orientation, ventilation, and ease of access for you are important issues and there's lots of info here about all those issues.

Oh, if you haven't done so already, PLEASE put at least your general location in your profile. It could be very important if/when you ask for or offer help or advice. You know, climate issues and such. To add it, mouse hover over Account top right and a drop down will appear. Click on Personal Details and scan down. You'll see the spot for Location. Then go to the bottom and save changes.

 

[Kusanar]

Just curious. I included my general location in my personal details which, I assume carries over to where it should be but when looking at a post I've made it doesn't seem evident. Where do you guys "see" this info?

Look at your last post, it's on the left under your picture. If you are on a phone, turn it sideways so it is wider than tall and it should show.

 

[blackdog043]

I can say that my location is the PNW in Washington state. Does that help?

Yep, that's good enough, to give advice for your general location. If you put PNW in your profile we won't have to ask or try to remember, but that's up to you.
You got good advice for your coop requirements. I'm gone 12 hrs a day, during the week and I have no problems taking care of my current 11 chickens. I always have dry feed available, plus I give them fermented feed every morning. The easiest way to provide food and water, is in bulk. Make a five gallon waterer with horizontal nipples and a no waste feeder and you will only have to add to them once a week.(not bad huh) I use poop boards in my coop, I clean them off every day or two. That takes no more than 5 minutes. My run is deep litter, so that's very little maintenance.

 

[Toothpick]

I’ve learned that chickens require as much or as little time as you can invest. But they do require your time. There have been weeks that I’ve been so busy all I could do was throw some food in the run once a day and see ya later!

I really think that YOU are the only one that can answer if you have enough time. Unless they are completely free range they will not take care of themselves. You’ll have to feed and water them, and clean their coop. You can get feeders and waters that will last for a week or more. And then depending on your coop clean it once a week. Or if you have a larger coop once every few months or more.

But honestly, I beleive that part of the fun of owning chickens is taking care of them. Being around them. Getting to know their personalities. And the chickens getting to know you. If I only had time to feed and water them I wouldn’t have them. It’s not fun when pet ownership becomes a chore.

I’d say I spend about 2.5 hours every week between feeding, watering, and cleaning the coop. 15 minutes every day feeding and making sure they have water. 30 minutes a week cleaning the coop. But throughout the week I hang out and observe them. Or I’m thinking of ideas to make their life more comfortable. Or my life taking care of them easier. Researching stuff and playing around here on Back Yard Chickens. Who knows how much time that adds up to.

 

[lohrn4]

Nah, have feeder and waterer that holds enough to last them 24 hours and just top off once a day, timing on that should fit your schedule.

Sounds good! I'm leaning towards the secure run. That seems most natural to me. Then let them out into the bigger area when I can.