A Day in the Life Would You Share?

[billfields]

I have 18 that are coming up on 17 weeks. In the morning I go out and open the pop door to let them out and toss them a handful of scratch---about 2 or 3 minutes. After work I check their feeder and about every 4th day add food. On a refill day, that is about 5 minutes. Another five minutes to refill the in and outside waterers. So probably 10 minutes a day for what has to be done. And another hour every other week when I do a general cleaning in the coop (I use deep liter but still like to clean out the wood chips under the roost, scrape the roosts, clean the windows, sweep down dust and cobwebs and add more wood chips.)

But I probably spend a half hour a day watching 'em, hand feeding whatever extra vegetables the garden yields, just generally enjoying them. And soon they will start to lay so gathering eggs is added in but I see that not so much chore a collecting rent.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

I have a lot of animals so mine may take a bit more time than some, but it's still not overwhelming, usually.

Here is a typical week for me.


Daily;

AM: Usually around 8:30 am...
Feed & Water brooders.
Open coop doors (3).
Collect Eggs.
Clean out waterers and give fresh cool water (I use a hose). I have to do the quail, turkeys, rabbits, and 2 chicken pens.
Give a big scoop of feed to the broiler and turkey pen. (They can't be on free-feed).
Big scoop of BOSS to the layer pen.
Fill quail dust baths.
Feed rabbits and quail.
Feed & water dogs and cats.


PM:
Small scoop of feed to the broiler pen.
Close all chicken coop doors.
Feed & Water brooders.


It usually takes me about 30-45 minutes do my AM chores. More if I linger or stop to watch them for a bit.
PM chores are less than 5 minutes, but I try to spend time out there with them in the evenings to watch them and let them out to play.


Lastly;
Once a week I have to dump the kiddie pools and clean them out, also rake out the pens & dump into the compost pile which takes a few hours.
Once every month I have to clean out the entire coops which take the whole day, sometimes two.
Once every 6 months I deworm, dust, and clip nails & wings if needed.

I think that's everything.

 

[Spoof]

I have seven, earlier in the summer I'd let them out before work but now it is dark when I leave so I don't do anything in the AM during the week. On the weekends I let them out when I get up.

In the evening I let them out to range when I get home, check feed, water, eggs and watch them do their thing out in the yard. They put themselves away in the evening and I either shut the door when it gets dark or after I come home. They are in a chicken tractor that I move every few days and that takes a few seconds to pull forward. The feed/water holds enough for a week and takes a few minutes to fill.

For the most part I find I spend more time watching them than doing anything else. The time it takes really depends on your setup. I knew I'd be traveling a few days every week when I got them so designed my setup to be away for periods of time.

 

[kizanne]

Well the brooder stage I spent more time but they were in the spare bedroom (now I have tons of cleaning, mostly dusting to do).

Now that they are grown depends on the day but my bare nessecities. Wake up let them out of the coop (If I didn't leave the door open cause I think I have predator proofed my run plus I have watch dogs). Go to work. Evening Check for eggs. Every 3 evening bring out 2 gallons of water to fill up the automatic waterer using chicken nipples. Once a week, throw in fresh pine shaving, fill up autofeeder, refresh oyster shell. Once every 2 months or so scoop out the shavings into the compost bin.

So not much work.

Most days I find myself spoiling them by will. I bring them treats, let them free range, just sit and watch them. For me the key was the autowater which will be upgraded later to truly auto with a toilet float, auto feeder. For Christmas might spring for an auto door opener. Also make sure to have outside access to your egg boxes. Makes days when your busy only about 5 minutes worth of work or less.

 

[Momhen]

I started w/2 hens and a cockerel and raised 4 chicks this summer so now have 7. We bought them for my son originally but I spend so much more time with them than he does - and as a result get so much more enjoyment from them! Mornings are simple - open the coop, check water and set out pellets. In the afternoons either I or my son bring them corn and any treats. I usually can't resist a cup of tea with my hens! In the evenings it's just a matter of making sure they are all in the coop and picking up any food dishes or scraps they haven't eaten from the ground so that the slugs aren't encouraged!

I originally had a coop\
un we moved around the yard. This had a fantastic affect in fertilizing our lawn which we hadn't planned. They got out to free range around the back yard a few times a week until they continually scraped away my decorative stones around one of our wall borders (what a pain to get the stones all back where they should be!) Now we have a run about 10 ft x 30 ft in which they spend all day. We have a different coop that is attached to the run. We'll keep the first coop to use if we need to separate our new roos from the hens when I go to hatch chicks again next spring.

My husband has a workshop so we use wood shavings as bedding in the coop. This needs changed about every 2 weeks. The new coop attached to the run opens completely at the front so cleaning the coop should be easy. Our original coop had a tray that held the shavings which we pulled out & cleaned. It made cleaning the coop much easier and I would recommend making sure your coop has some sort of tray which can be removed with the bedding. My husband made our coop so I don't know what is available on the market - or in the USA (I live in Northern Ireland).

Raising chicks is a terrific experience and my 3 kids and I loved it. Watching the mother hen raise her chicks was so educational and impressive.

What kind of hens are you planning to get?

 

[darkmatter]

A day in the life?

Wake up about 4 o’clock in the morning due to “Old man bladder syndrome”, make coffee, watch news, wait till the Sun lightens things up. Go let the chickens out and walk about the place and garden planning on what I’ll claim I have to do when the Missus gets up to give me my “honeydew list” while complaining about only one cup of coffee dregs left. Quickly drink the first two cups of coffee from the fresh pot the Missus made, then skedaddle outside to putter around the garden or head for the woods for woodcutting or hunting depending on whether I can still hear the Missus when she hollers for me out the window if it’s not about breakfast or lunch. After garden work or tractor/truck maintenance, then collect eggs and return indoors for a while, then out again till it’s time to shut the chickens up for the night.

 

[carladababe]

On my days off my 11 girls go into the chicken tractor for most of the day, it gives me a chance to change the water both in the run and in the coop, and refill both feeders. They get treats throughout the day and a change of water. They usually let me know when they're ready to go back home to the run/coop, in the afternoon. They put themselves to bed at dark. Most of the time I spend is to spoil my chickens. They are use to alot of attention. When I work,(12 hour days) I get up a few minutes early before work to leave them with freah water and wake up treats in the run. I have the best husband in the world, he watches them for me while I'm at work, sets up fans for when its hot, changing of the water (I like my chickens to have clean drinking water), and yet more spoiling. There are those days when the coop and run either need a quick clean or the full monty that can be labor intensive. For our time and effort, our girls are happy and healthy, and give us beautiful multi colored eggs. It's a labor of love. Enjoy!

 

[Ole rooster]

I'll say this. I raised Arabian horses for 11 years, and if chickens are more work than horses I quit now. Horses cost my out the nose, especially vets, and the feed bill was crazy.

 

[equusbeth]

Quote:
I'm looking at getting 4 buff orpingtons and 2 barred Plymouth rock chicks. My big concern is how they will do in the summer here. Our high yesterday was the highest of the summer at 110. Ugh.

Thank you all so, so much for this helpful information! You sure know how to help a girl out!

Bethany

 

[yinzerchick]

I'm in E. Texas too, so I know your concerns about the heat, it has been absolutely horrid.

I have 24 hens and 1 rooster, they're all 22 weeks. This summer was a bit of a challenge!
I changed water a lot! I put down several shallow feed dishes filled with water and even got them a little baby pool to cool their feet in. They really do like too! I also am lucky enough to have electric in the coop and water in the run, so I put a fan in one of the large windows in the coop, and I go out and hose down the run for them several times a day. There's plenty of shade in the run, and they can also free range. I turn on a sprinkler for them under one of the peach trees in the pasture, they really love that. Also frozen treats, watermelon and again, water, water, water! Besides all the little dishes around, I have 2, 5 gallon waterers, one in the coop and one in the run, and I change them at least 2x a day to keep them cool. (That water gets hot! yuck!)
I have BR's, EE's, RIR's, GLW, and Red Stars, they all did okay in this heat, and even started laying and laying regularly too!

Chickens are as easy or hard as you make it.

Truer words were never spoken! It's all what fits into your day and you can adjust it to suit you. (As you can see, I have a tendency to make it a little more time consuming than it probably needs to be, but hey, the kids are all grown and I'm an empty nester!)

Pray for rain, and hope this dang heat ends soon! Geez, it's almost September, can we get a break??
Good luck with your chickens!!​