Going Away

[oldpaths1611]

Quote:
We don't plan on leaving them out to range. They will be in the coop the whole time we're gone. That was one of my concerns. Do chickens get cabin fever???

 

[MaggieRae]

I leave my chickens by themselves Mon-Fri. Have to since my main house is in Dallas. My 7 chickens have 3 waterers/feeders and they're just fine. My neighbor checks on them (by his own volition. I haven't asked him to) daily, since he enjoys their company. It's really nice knowing he's watching them, But... They'd be just fine without having someone saying "Hi" everyday. They really don't differentiate between when we're there or not. They just keep up their little chicky ways.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

We left our birds for the first time for a couple weeks this summer. I have a terrific neighbor who came to give them fresh water and checked their food every morning, let them out everyday around 4 pm and closed the coop door after dusk. In exchange she got to harvest all that she could from my garden and, of course, all the eggs the girls laid. I continue to regularly give her eggs and garden vegetables. I couldn't leave without knowing she was taking care of them. I made it easy for her to do, like having a feeder that she only had to fill once while we were gone. I also have automatic nipple waterers plumbed into my water system, so the water she was adding was really just to make me feel better. My birds could stay alone for days without any outside help, but it'd kill me. It may not help right now, but you should also check the "where am I/where are you" section of the forum for a thread in your area (https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewforum.php?id=26). You never know, maybe you'll find a like minded fellow BYCer in your neighborhood who can help you out.