Absentee Chicken Management

[Tiskilwa]

I am currently raising a couple chicks to keep at my house in suburbs. We have a property a couple hours from our home with a cabin that we go to nearly every weekend. I was wondering if anyone raised chickens at a home or property that they are not at every day.

I would be willing to invest in automatic doors, electric / heat to the coop, etc. Either myself or a relative is at the property at least once week (weekends) and I could get a local farmer's son to stop by once a week during the week to help take care of the flock (collect eggs, freshen water, etc.).

Does anyone else have a flock they only tend to on a limited basis? Am I just asking for trouble? Suggestions and comments welcomed. I am new at keeping hens, just want to get a sense if this is a nonstarter or something I could consider to grow my flock.

Thanks,

 

[N F C]

Welcome to BYC!

Maybe someone will have tried this and it worked well for them. I would not do it myself for several reasons:

1. Injuries and illnesses need to be treated promptly, not a few days later
2. Creating a bond with your birds takes lots of interaction on a daily basis
3. Their coop and run needs to be kept clean to keep them healthy
4. If a predator can find a way in and you aren't around to hear the chaos, you'll come back days later to a dead flock
5. Eggs need to be collected every day
6. Water needs to be changed every day
7. During inclement weather you want to be sure your birds have everything they need (hot weather and cold weather needs)

As I said, maybe someone will come along here with a great experience doing the absentee management, those reasons are just my opinion. Plus, there is the fact that I would miss my girls...I'm crazy about the fuzz butts!

 

[vbob99]

it can and has been done they will need a constant source of food and water as well as shelter. if your not to concerned with losses they can even be free range. if you free range and predators find them you will likely loose all. with a secure larger than normal shelter and constant food/water it should be fine. my grandfather kept 2 flocks one at the home-place and one at his house. the home-place chickens were fully free range and self sufficient, however he got a white rooster later on and the predators found them and he lost all of them

If they are going to be more pets than livestock i would not recommend this
things to consider
auto door failure: if they are locked inside and cramped they will kill each other. if it fails to close can predators get in or is the run secure (if you have one, if you don't have a run predators will come during the day since there are no people)

unless your in a very cold location there would be little reason to heat the coop
eggs left in nestboxs will encourage broody behavior and possibly egg eating
water does not need to be changed every day
cleaning out does not need to be done all that often but it will build up

size of coop will need to be kinda large i would think 1-10 chickens i would build a man sized room 8x10x10 ish

if you do decide to keep them in abstentia. they will not be pets and you will be seen as a threat though you will still be "the food bringer". you run a higher risk of predators killing the entire flock.

 

[Tiskilwa]

Thanks. I am not planning on jumping into an absentee situation but do want to think about planning well in advance.

 

[JayJo]

Have you chosen a coop design yet? This one has the coop and run all in one so you don't have to let the chickens in and out.

http://www.thegardencoop.com/chicken-coop-plans.html

We don't actually have our chickens yet so take this with a grain of salt, but there are plans on backyardchickens.com for auto-feed and waterers. We're planning to build a 5-gallon bucket feeder and horizontal nipple waterer.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...te-5-gallon-25-feed-bucket-feeder-for-about-3

http://www.ebay.com/itm/321751306565?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649

 

[aart]

Welcome to BYC!

Maybe someone will have tried this and it worked well for them. I would not do it myself for several reasons:

1. Injuries and illnesses need to be treated promptly, not a few days later
2. Creating a bond with your birds takes lots of interaction on a daily basis
3. Their coop and run needs to be kept clean to keep them healthy
4. If a predator can find a way in and you aren't around to hear the chaos, you'll come back days later to a dead flock
5. Eggs need to be collected every day
6. Water needs to be changed every day
7. During inclement weather you want to be sure your birds have everything they need (hot weather and cold weather needs)

As I said, maybe someone will come along here with a great experience doing the absentee management, those reasons are just my opinion. Plus, there is the fact that I would miss my girls...I'm crazy about the fuzz butts!

Ditto Dat^^^^

 

[0die]

I specifically built my coop and run as a single unit...6x12 enclosed run with a 3x4 coop inside. I wanted enough space that they would be okay if left locked in all weekend. automatic no waste 25# feeder and 5 gal nipple waterer...plus a neighbor eager to collect free eggs daily when I'm gone...