Can I ever go on vacation now?!

[M_Struna]

We are talking about taking our first vacation since starting our flock. I’ve just been informed that family members would be willing to make sure the girls have enough food and water and would open and close the coop, but are hands-off on anything dealing with ‘housekeeping’. We live on adjacent properties so someone is always around.

I have a large Premier waterer & Grandpa’s feeder. And we’ll be putting in an automatic door to the run. The coop itself is very secure. The thing that worries me most is what kind of fly hell I will be coming home to. I know I’m a little obsessive about cleaning the coop daily, but I see horror stories on FB threads. Nasty vents from fly strike, maggots and bot fly faces…all the things. Am I worrying needlessly? My ten do a number on their droppings board every night. I can’t imagine what a week’s worth is going to look like, or what it will attract. I use Chicks Dig It sand and in the coop and on the board a mixture of the sand, PDZ and First Saturday Lime. I’m using deep litter with hemp in the run and have no issues with flies there, but will be doing a Spring cleaning before we leave. We live in NE Ohio and are planning a May vacation, so at least the weather won’t be too warm. Any advice or words of wisdom will be greatly appreciated.

 

[ChickenChick46]

My birds are still young and new, and I don't go on vacation like, ever. So in personal experience, I can't help. But, I do want to share a family perspective.

My grandmother and uncle live together, and they've got 10 hens. They do travel a couple times per year, and the caretaker for their birds is similar. It's my other uncle who lives next door. He ensures the girls have clean water and feed every day, but he doesn't clean the coop or anything like that.

They do have an automatic door so the girls can get out into the run every morning. He just goes over once a day and checks feed and water, then goes over in the evening to make sure they're all in the coop and the door has closed.

On a max vacation of 10 days, they've never had any trouble. And my uncle is also religious about daily coop cleaning. I'm sure it's a mess to deal with, but they've never had flies or anything horrible happen.

I know this isn't my experience, but it is my family's, and I hope that it gives you a little peace of mind so that you can actually enjoy your well-deserved vacation!

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Am I worrying needlessly?

Yes. Lol. I don’t clean my coop but once a month maybe. My chickens free range all day so it’s not like they hang out in there but they do sleep in there and poop. A week is a perfectly reasonable time frame to not clean the coop. I used to scoop poop daily in my old coop so I get it. I went on lots of vacations with neighbors just popping over to feed and water. I have also been the chicken-sitter for lots of neighbors for that amount of time and never cleaned their coops. Go on vacation! Have fun!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Sounds like you have poop trays. While I was disabled due to a knee injury I had to depend on family members to clean for me. Frankly, they did not clean the poop boards daily or even weekly and it did cause some problems. However, this was over a matter of several weeks. If you will only be gone one week it will be messy, but should be okay. I will suggest that you add a good-sized scoop of Permetherin in the poop trays, it will help keep the bugs down until you get back. Enjoy your travels!

 

[The Moonshiner]

I’m a little obsessive

Am I worrying needlessly?

OK that's probably an understatement of how I really feel but that's me and idk you.
None of us do and it's gonna be your mess you're coming home to.
Why not do some experimenting now and try to skip cleaning for a week and see.
You can always panic in a couple days, clean the coop and cancel the vacation if you find its gonna be too much.
You may also find it's OK to lighten up and clean it every couple days instead.
Also are you not aware Facebook is a lot of overdramtics?

 

[TheChickenGirl16]

Everyone on here is right!
Just clean right before you leave, and as soon as you get back! You shouldn’t have any issues in just a week.
I hope you enjoy your travels!

 

[Altairsky]

My coop is fully automated, my birds could go one month without human intervention and I placed cameras everywhere. But I still freak out after 2 days away from home.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Why not do some experimenting now and try to skip cleaning for a week and see.

Some of the best advice I have ever read on this forum.

 

[alinas2010]

100% agree on experimenting. Testing is what I do before I leave town with unknowns. Is someone collecting your eggs? My sitter never collects our eggs and I have more issues with that than the poop.

Also, if you’re still worried about flies, I’ve had good luck with these fly traps. Not the liquid kind, birds won’t get stuck, and they do attract flies.

 

[M_Struna]

Thank you to everyone who responded. All excellent recommendations and comments. I already use the above mentioned fly traps on my porch and will hang one in the coop. I’ve been reading up on Permetherin today and think it’s a great idea, so I’ll be doing that. And the trial run really is a no-brainer.

This is my first go-round at having what my chicken buddy calls ‘utility animals’. I’ve only had rather high-maintenance dogs who have lived rather bougie lives, so this is a new experience for me. It’s going to take me a minute, but I’ll get there. Thanks, again.