Feeding and Watering while on Vacation

[Fowl_Odor002]

We have a 3 week vacation planned for later this year and I was hoping to build a waterer and feeder that will hold enough stuff for the 3 weeks.
Currently, I have 5 laying hens and 7 pullets about 4 weeks old. So total of 12 laying hens by vacation time. We live in the suburbs.

Any ideas?

 

[Gullygarden]

The water will build up germs and algae and the food will go bad or get spilled and a hundred things can go wrong for your critters - you need to find someone to come in and check, clean, feed, etc. every day at the least, so then the feeders and waterers don't need to be so huge.

 

[NYRIR]

I would pay a chicken sitter to come in daily.Too many things can,and probably will go wrong if they are left unattended and bored.They are not like a cat that will be ok for a week or so....IMO.They need daily care.Also,if they lay eggs and they are not collected you are asking for an egg eating problem.Three weeks is too long to leave them without someone caring for them.Period.
Farmers don't go on vacation without someone to tend the livestock.Chickens are livestock.
Sorry if this sounds harsh but it is meant to let you know that it's NOT a good idea.

 

[mississippifarmboy]

What's this "Vacation" thing? Sounds sorta fun...

 

[NYRIR]

Quote:
Yeah,it does,doesn't it? (We don't ever go either!)

 

[Teeah3612]

Make friends with a responsible teenager in the neighborhood. His family can use the eggs and he can use the money. Always works for me, regardless of the critters that need sitting.

 

[BellevueOmlet]

It is always better to be safe than sorry so daily is a good idea but I have been out of town for 2 weeks and could only get someone to check on them twice while I was gone and they were fine. I only have 5 chickens though.
My waterer and my feeder last 2 weeks if I want it to. The person I had check on things did not do anything with the water or food, even though I asked him to, but the chickens were fine. He did take and eat the eggs like I asked without any problems though

 

[Neil Grassbaugh]

Nipple drinkers on the bottom of a plastic bucket need to be considered.

 

[duckinnut]

Quote:

Isnt that a movie? Think I saw part of it.

Back on point. Would you leave your dependent elderly mother alone for 3 weeks of course not. This thing with chickens is a partnership,you give them food,water and love and they give you eggs,a bunch of laughs and loads of smiles.

Here is what I would do if I were ever to go on vacation again. Contact your local 4H club or your FFA(Future Farmers of America) and see if anybody is interested in caring for them. Eggs and pay as incentive. Also check with your local Boys or Girls Scouts, maybe members can take turns looking after them and you make a donation to their chapter or sponser an event. Just make sure you give them instructions on how to do it. Make sure you have bought enough food for them while your gone. You can also give a shout out on this site if someone is in your state and perhaps lives close by and maybe they can help you out. I know for a fact that fellow chicken people are willing to help each other out. I know of at least 3 people within 10 mins of me that are on this site. Like a fellow poster said, find a responsible teenager(I know a dying breed) in your neighborhood or if you have a friend with a teen that would to make a couple bucks and get the interested in this hobby(addiction).

What I would not do in any which way or form is use craigslist a an answer. Letting anybody know that your going away for 3 weeks, you will be coming home to an empty house.

 

[klen]

we have a local chicken shop that does chicken sitting for a small fee.

When we go on vacation we employ the neighbor boy to house sit and stay with our dog, so he'll watch the chickens too.