Time Management and chickens

[lohrn4]

Oh! Looka there! Landscape IS a whole different perspective than portrait. Thank you!

 

[lohrn4]

I open the coop every day when I get home no matter what time. It could be well after dark with a flashlight. I make sure they are all safe inside. I talk before I open the door in the dark so they don't freak out. They usually blink a few times, ruffle their feathers and then I let them go back to sleep.

That is a good idea. I like it! Thank you.

 

[lohrn4]

Chickens can take up as much or as little time as you want. On an average work day I can spend as little as 10 minutes on my chickens. If I were to modify my setup it could be less. Chickens like to go in and out at sun up and sun down. If you are not home at those times to open and lock the coop, you can enlist the help of a friend or family member or invest in an automatic coop door. I fill their food and water. That's it. A few minutes. When I have a day off and my schedule permits I clean the coop and do any other maintenance that may be needed. If I used different food and water containers I wouldn't even have to do that daily, but I like to check on them. Eggs can be collected once every 24 hours, usually late afternoon or evening. You can make it work if you want.

Thank you, I just wanted to be more sure than not. You birders give me hope.

 

[lohrn4]

The thing with auto doors is sometimes you have that chicken that likes to take her time getting in the house, She likes to sit out in the nice fresh air gazing at the stars and falls asleep....

That's hilarious! I'll bet she's your favorite!

 

[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.

 

[lohrn4]

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.

Sounds like a lot of wisdom there. I think I have a lot of possibilities on my piece of land that will make them happy. Two other things to research: dogs, meet chickens and vice versa and fermenting their grains. That sounds interesting to me. Thanks for your input!

 

[lazy gardener]

I have 2 gals who buck the system every time they get a chance. They will try to sleep out in the run in the truss system of the sun room. A hose is a great persuader in the summer, and a big scary black push broom does the trick in the "no hose" months. Even with an auto pop door, I check the coop every night.

 

[lohrn4]

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.

Thank you for all your information! This is getting more doable by the day!

 

[lohrn4]

I have 2 gals who buck the system every time they get a chance. They will try to sleep out in the run in the truss system of the sun room. A hose is a great persuader in the summer, and a big scary black push broom does the trick in the "no hose" months. Even with an auto pop door, I check the coop every night.

 

[lohrn4]

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.

Yes, I have all those kids but I had that many two leggers, too! I are with you on the simple DIY coop. I don't mind walking in to collect the eggs, check things out and do clean up.