I plan on leaving chickens alone at least one week

Coykoi said:

This thread gives me hope for the future. I put off an out of town trip this month because I couldn't manage to board or pet sit the dogs AND the chickies, and I just assumed that I needed to be there twice a day, every day. My birds are too young this year (3 months), but maybe by next year I'll have a coop that I'm more comfortable with (security against predators) and the finances will have recovered enough that only the dogs will need to go to the boarder.

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Yay, hope! lol I think we all over think these things...

drumstick diva said:

what about power failure, or damage due to winter storms, etc. etc? I would worry to death about them if they were mine. But, I do tend to worry about everything. Plus members frequently complain about neighbors or others hired to come in and care for birds, that never show up. I used to breed dogs and never went anywhere because I couldn't trust others to care for them like I did.

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Well if the power goes out lets hope at least one of the watering systems does not freeze up, I will test and re-test all my systems many times before leaving them. I must have a life, and for me a life requires travel! My first choice is that the neighbor checks in on them, but I will not ask them if I am only gone a few days save that for a week or longer. I want to know they will be ok if the neighbors are not available, if whomever is checking on them does not.

Gary from Idyllwild Ca here

My chickens are dry and wind free. Their coop is well insulated. They are a cold weather breed at --12 degrees celcius they are doing fine. Tomorrow will be even colder. They have good ventelation and a good layer of straw and tri layer wood chips. We have a thermostate water warmer. They do have lights that put off some heat not much. We also have someone checking on them daily.

They are doing great and still laying eggs.

The temperature went to -20 celcius today and the chickens are out roaming in the green house. We had some light snow so I put some snow in a container in the green house. They love the snow and use it like water. They are still laying eggs. I started a mealworm farm and put some in with their treats




Just another day for the girls.

Well I left the girls for a week and they survived with plenty of water and feed still left. Did a quick clean and fluff and they watched had check everything out as I cleaned. My sitter got 6 eggs every day while we where away. We got down to minus 31 celcius and they where fine. I know that we can leave them and not worry now as long as we do good prepp before hand.

Ok I am walking the walk. Chickens are 13 weeks old tomorrow and on their own, all alone next 3 nights. They have two weeks worth of food and water and in secure housing unless the bear who just showed up in the area, after no bears in 10 years who ALREADY ate someones flock. I am sure they will be fine Typing this from the hotel room taking the kids to the pool now

Gary

PS this is their second time alone, well sorta. The first 10 days of June at 9 weeks old they were alone except they did have a human checking them every other day, I thought they would forget me but they still loved me when I got back.

IdyllwildAcres said:

They have two weeks worth of food and water and in secure housing unless the bear who just showed up in the area, after no bears in 10 years who ALREADY ate someones flock.

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8-0 hope you have hot wire set up!

aart said:

8-0 hope you have hot wire set up!

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I am not too worried about the bear and if I have bear related losses I will make some changes. I was pretty secure that my setup would repel everything in my area, from dogs and raccoons and coyotes, bobcats and mountain lions. But a bear could change everything. He is cute I will post a pic someone snapped of him a few days ago, maybe 1.5 miles from me.



Gary

IdyllwildAcres said:

I am not too worried about the bear and if I have bear related losses I will make some changes. I was pretty secure that my setup would repel everything in my area, from dogs and raccoons and coyotes, bobcats and mountain lions. But a bear could change everything. He is cute I will post a pic someone snapped of him a few days ago, maybe 1.5 miles from me.
Gary

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They're all cute until the tear your place up or eat your birds
Not put the phone away and go play with your family!