All sorts of weird since we went on vacation...

[CatsandCrops]

We went out of town for 5 days for the first time since getting our chickens who were born in March. We paid someone to housesit - she did an okay job watching them but obviously no one takes as good of care of them as we do. The first day, she slept in and didn't get them out of the coop until 930-10a when they are use to being out at 6-630a (I was upset and told her they had to go out earlier than that which she did the rest of the days..even though I had asked her to have them out by 730-8a at the latest to begin with). It also seems as thought she didn't refill their nesting boxes if they kicked out the bedding. Other than that; it appears like they had normal days/routines - got their fermented food daily, got kitchen scrapes as they were made, closed up for the night etc. They didn't get their regular garden weeds but that's not an every day thing anyways.

1) At least 2 girls are now laying outside of the nesting boxes, which hasn't been a thing at all since they started laying. They made a small nest in the corner of the coop and have laid there vs inside of the nesting boxes, even after I ensured all of boxes were filled well and put the fake eggs back in. Any way to help transition them back to laying there?

2) It seems like my smallest hen is now an outsider; she is completely separate from the flock. I'll come out and she's laying by herself in the opposite side of the enclosed run and goes to bed before everyone else (like roosting by herself an hour or so before sundown). They use to include her and not act like she was invisible. She runs to me anytime I am near the run and basically trips me if I'm inside due to running in my legs. Did the pecking order change while I was away? Did she drop to the bottom and now is asking for mom's help?

3) ALL OF THE FLIES. We have about 3-4 inches of wood chips in our run and we also add in grass clippings/weeds/garden what nots as we have them. The girls do a great job of digging holes to China to get to the dirt underneath along with kicking things around. I usually rake the run back to smooth every 2-3 days so I don't break an ankle. Do you think the absence of raking allowed a build up of poop for this huge invasion of flies? It did rain twice while we were gone but it's been rainy in the past and I've never seen anything like this. Any good ideas for getting rid of flies?

4) How do you prep people to take care of your chickens? How do you trust someone to watch them? Why do they make me so anxious while we're gone ahhhh. #crazychickenmom

 

[Big Doggie]

We went out of town for 5 days for the first time since getting our chickens who were born in March. We paid someone to housesit - she did an okay job watching them but obviously no one takes as good of care of them as we do. The first day, she slept in and didn't get them out of the coop until 930-10a when they are use to being out at 6-630a (I was upset and told her they had to go out earlier than that which she did the rest of the days..even though I had asked her to have them out by 730-8a at the latest to begin with). It also seems as thought she didn't refill their nesting boxes if they kicked out the bedding. Other than that; it appears like they had normal days/routines - got their fermented food daily, got kitchen scrapes as they were made, closed up for the night etc. They didn't get their regular garden weeds but that's not an every day thing anyways.

1) At least 2 girls are now laying outside of the nesting boxes, which hasn't been a thing at all since they started laying. They made a small nest in the corner of the coop and have laid there vs inside of the nesting boxes, even after I ensured all of boxes were filled well and put the fake eggs back in. Any way to help transition them back to laying there?

2) It seems like my smallest hen is now an outsider; she is completely separate from the flock. I'll come out and she's laying by herself in the opposite side of the enclosed run and goes to bed before everyone else (like roosting by herself an hour or so before sundown). They use to include her and not act like she was invisible. She runs to me anytime I am near the run and basically trips me if I'm inside due to running in my legs. Did the pecking order change while I was away? Did she drop to the bottom and now is asking for mom's help?

3) ALL OF THE FLIES. We have about 3-4 inches of wood chips in our run and we also add in grass clippings/weeds/garden what nots as we have them. The girls do a great job of digging holes to China to get to the dirt underneath along with kicking things around. I usually rake the run back to smooth every 2-3 days so I don't break an ankle. Do you think the absence of raking allowed a build up of poop for this huge invasion of flies? It did rain twice while we were gone but it's been rainy in the past and I've never seen anything like this. Any good ideas for getting rid of flies?

4) How do you prep people to take care of your chickens? How do you trust someone to watch them? Why do they make me so anxious while we're gone ahhhh. #crazychickenmom

I’m new to raising chickens too. I can’t answer all your questions but as far as opening and closing the door.... get an automatic door. I have the Omlet door that I started using in June. Opens at dawn and closes at night. The controls are adjustable for light sensitivity so you can have the door operate with various light conditions. Or you can have it work on a timer. It also has an anti-crush feature and will stop closing when there is a chicken in the doorway.

 

[rosemarythyme]

4) How do you prep people to take care of your chickens? How do you trust someone to watch them? Why do they make me so anxious while we're gone ahhhh. #crazychickenmom

I'd simplify things and lower my expectations. For example in my set up, at this point I only need the chicken sitter to look in on the flock for anything obviously amiss, and to pick up eggs each day. The auto door will let them in and out each day and night, the feeder can hold about 5 days of food, waterer holds about 6-7 days of water. I have well established deep litter than can take the extra poop. Coop camera if I really need to check in on them at night. So I really don't need or want a pet sitter to do anything extra.

As far as the flies I have fly traps out all summer. There's still plenty of flies around but I feel a little better at least reducing the number a bit.

 

[CatsandCrops]

I’m new to raising chickens too. I can’t answer all your questions but as far as opening and closing the door.... get an automatic door. I have the Omlet door that I started using in June. Opens at dawn and closes at night. The controls are adjustable for light sensitivity so you can have the door operate with various light conditions. Or you can have it work on a timer. It also has an anti-crush feature and will stop closing when there is a chicken in the doorway.

We are thinking about running electricity to the coop next year and adding one - it will probably be worth it for vacations/nights away but daily opening/closing is no biggie for us. Do you think it's made a difference?

 

[CatsandCrops]

I'd simplify things and lower my expectations. For example in my set up, at this point I only need the chicken sitter to look in on the flock for anything obviously amiss, and to pick up eggs each day. The auto door will let them in and out each day and night, the feeder can hold about 5 days of food, waterer holds about 6-7 days of water. I have well established deep litter than can take the extra poop. Coop camera if I really need to check in on them at night. So I really don't need or want a pet sitter to do anything extra.

As far as the flies I have fly traps out all summer. There's still plenty of flies around but I feel a little better at least reducing the number a bit.

See, I thought we had a simple routine - the only tasks needed: open/close door, refill/watch outside waterer since its 90+ degrees out, dump out a bowl of already made fermented food, get eggs. They have access to dry food and water inside of their coop 24/7 and that holds at least 2-3 weeks worth of both. I guess with the autodoor that takes out a huge portion of the tasks.

I don't know; I guess I just thought since I was paying someone to stay at the house (on top of stocking the fridge for them, 2 bottles of wine and snacks - and them drinking an entire bottle of expensive tequila) and they only had to watch the chickens & water the gardens if it didn't rain - I thought they would follow through with what I had asked.

 

[Big Doggie]

We are thinking about running electricity to the coop next year and adding one - it will probably be worth it for vacations/nights away but daily opening/closing is no biggie for us. Do you think it's made a difference?

The door runs on AA batteries. But if you want an electric deterrent for predators you’d need power

 

[FortCluck]

I just left for a week and I’m happy with what my friend did while I was gone, he’s a chicken owner too. He watched how we did things before we left and did exactly what we asked. He even took care of my bunnies. We have quail, chickens, a Muscovy, and a turkey... 73 birds total. Plus some are still chicks that hatched right before we left.

I think finding someone experienced with birds helps. Writing a list or showing them what to do helps tremendously

 

[LaFleche]

We are thinking about running electricity to the coop next year and adding one - it will probably be worth it for vacations/nights away but daily opening/closing is no biggie for us. Do you think it's made a difference?

You do not need electricity to install an automatic coop door. There are all sorts of battery-operated available as well.

I don't know; I guess I just thought since I was paying someone to stay at the house (on top of stocking the fridge for them, 2 bottles of wine and snacks - and them drinking an entire bottle of expensive tequila) and they only had to watch the chickens & water the gardens if it didn't rain - I thought they would follow through with what I had asked.

Maybe that was the cause for sleeping in late and not being able to perform to your expectations.

 

[LaFleche]

2) It seems like my smallest hen is now an outsider; she is completely separate from the flock. I'll come out and she's laying by herself in the opposite side of the enclosed run and goes to bed before everyone else (like roosting by herself an hour or so before sundown). They use to include her and not act like she was invisible. She runs to me anytime I am near the run and basically trips me if I'm inside due to running in my legs. Did the pecking order change while I was away? Did she drop to the bottom and now is asking for mom's help?

This behaviour might be an indication of something going on healthwise:

Did you feel her crop, is it hard or swollen and squishy or even empty at roosting time?
Is it still not empty in the morning before the first meal?
Inspect her thoroughly for mites and lice.
Inspect the coop for mites too, especially in the area where she is roosting. Best done at night when the mites leave the crevices they hide in to feast on the roosting chickens.
When did you last de-worm your hens?

 

[aart]

and them drinking an entire bottle of expensive tequila

This is the only really 'wrong' thing they did.
I wouldn't hire them again.