Can I ever go on vacation now?!

[BigBlueHen53]

Let us know how it goes!

 

[M_Struna]

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!

Thank you. This has helped more than I can say.

 

[M_Struna]

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!

Thank you. I will absolutely be doing the Permetherin. I’ve been reading up on it today and it actually doesn’t sound like a bad idea to use during the hotter months as a preventative.

 

[M_Struna]

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?

Yeah….that’s why I joined this group!

 

[M_Struna]

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!

Yep. Good plan at the very least. Thank you!

 

[M_Struna]

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.View attachment 4225405

Thanks. Yes, I already use these but hadn’t even considered hanging one in the coop. And, yes, the family will be more than happy to collect the eggs. Unless, of course, someone gets broody and bitchy. Then it’ll be game over.

 

[Not-so Slick Chicken]

If you find that the experiment doesn't go how you're wanting, you could consider hiring somebody.

Not uncommon to have a neighbor or local school aged kid do basic jobs (feed, water, collect eggs, clean poop). Just have realistic expectations and provide necessary equipment and safety equipment, and good simple instructions written down.

Not everybody wants to pay for somebody to care for their animals, and not everybody is a reliable caretaker option.

 

[ChickenChick46]

Thank you. This has helped more than I can say.

You're very welcome. I totally understand the apprehension. The first night my chicks spent in the coop, I barely slept. It's tough not to worry. But I hope you have a wonderful time on your vacation.

 

[Almosta Farm]

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.

I am a farm sitter and sit for a lot of people with chickens that worry about their flock. They are your feathered babies after all! Neighbors and teenagers might not do the job sufficiently. If you hire someone, make sure they have experience with poultry. They will be able to assess the health of your birds in case anyone gets sick or injured and also take care of collecting the eggs and any cleaning that needs to be done. They can give you updates and calm your anticipation about your critters being left on their own.