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

[rosemarythyme]

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.

Sorry your pet sitter didn't follow instructions and sounds like they took advantage of the situation a bit. I don't think your instructions were excessive or difficult.

We didn't have an auto door before (we've only taken 1 trip since we've gotten chickens) so we had asked the neighbor to let the chickens out in the morning, close up in evening, and pick up eggs (with auto door now it's just eggs). As she's elderly and her husband is ill I wanted to keep the instructions as simple as possible.

 

[Callender Girl]

Ah, @CatsandCrops, you have discovered the major downside to having poultry (and goats and sheep). No one will take care of your babies exactly the way you do. I have learned to lower my expectations and just be grateful everyone is alive when I return.

Last year, I paid someone to take care of my poultry and livestock. She previously owned chickens and ducks, and I had even purchased some of my chickens from her. I was horrified to return and find my waterfowl -- ducks and geese -- loose in their runs. Neither is predator proof and when I'm not home (and she had already taken off for the day), EVERYONE stays inside their much-safer coops.

Last week, a friend who has never had poultry but is a serious animal lover, came out and stayed at my house. She followed my many, many written directions, and all was well when I returned.

I use the Star-Bar disposable traps. They catch a gazillion flies, but are a bit gross to look at.

Hope everything and everybody gets back to normal soon!

 

[CatsandCrops]

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?

Her crop feels fine when compared to the other hens. No lice or mites from what I can tell on her or in the coop but I will take a look tonight when the sun goes down. They are younger; born the last week of March so I haven't de-wormed. I haven't had any signs of worms thus far (no changes in poop or egg production since they started laying). I know she's eating and drinking - I have seen her do both.

 

[CatsandCrops]

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?

No mites that I could see but her bum was dirty overall so we gave her a little spa day. I also gave the coop a good scrubbing overall just in case and changed out all the bedding. She doesn't seem to be isolating as much now.

Only 1 girl is laying in the middle of the coop vs the nesting boxes now. Maybe it'll take some time and she'll get back into the routine.