Going on vacation

[EagleEyes]

I was going to suggest the same, contact your local high schools AG teacher. I'm sure they would be able to suggest someone to help you out.

 

[Dinosaur Village Keeper]

I don't think anyone is saying you can't leave your house for more than a day, you just need to have someone check on them to make sure your automatic systems are working.

This is a great idea!

Even if you can't find a 4H kid, I'm sure someone at your local high school does pet sitting and can stop by just to make sure your systems are working. You can leave detailed instructions for what if scenarios (water gone, food spill, how to collect eggs) and your phone number for emergency questions. If you don't know anyone, do you have the NextDoor app for your area or is there a local FB poultry group?

People are extremely unfriendly where I live. I moved here from California 15 years ago. It is like a whole other world. They will never welcome you in in this area unless your parents or grandparents were born here. You will never be invited to anyone’s Thanksgiving or to anyone’s barbecue or picnic unless you have lived here for 50 years. And even then, if your parents and grandparents are unknown, you still will not be welcomed.

I did join next-door, and I also posted an ad for help. I am picky, but not that picky… but the responses I got were not from people I would ever want hanging around near my birds.

I am not sure how to contact 4H. I did have someone set up from high school and they never showed. These are all reasons why I just don’t want to rely on anyone!

It is a great idea though - to get an automatic system in place - with no help required, and then just have our emergency maintenance man fix any issues that may arise!

 

[aart]

People are extremely unfriendly where I live. I moved here from California 15 years ago. It is like a whole other world. They will never welcome you in in this area unless your parents or grandparents were born here. You will never be invited to anyone’s Thanksgiving or to anyone’s barbecue or picnic unless you have lived here for 50 years. And even then, if your parents and grandparents are unknown, you still will not be welcomed.

I did join next-door, and I also posted an ad for help. I am picky, but not that picky… but the responses I got were not from people I would ever want hanging around near my birds.

I am not sure how to contact 4H. I did have someone set up from high school and they never showed. These are all reasons why I just don’t want to rely on anyone!

It is a great idea though - to get an automatic system in place - with no help required, and then just have our emergency maintenance man fix any issues that may arise!

It really takes someone who you know and trust...and who knows about chickens, so they can spot any issues (before they become emergencies) and knows how to fix them.

 

[TropicalBabies]

@Dinosaur Village Keeper
I get what you are saying/asking. Looking for awesome ideas to help chickens remain self sufficient safely and comfortably for long periods of time. Could be a terrific and creative thread and I was looking forward to the responses.
I understand what other posters are saying too. Sounds like there is a compromise in there somewhere?

Years back my dh was flown off island with an infection in his head. I left my babies at the care of someone known, trusted and supposedly experienced and came back 5 days later to 3 dead birds and a $360 vet bill. Probably would have fared better with auto everything but the 5 days would have still been a stretch.

I have cared for others birds by them bringing them to me- another risk but i returned them all intact after 6 weeks- and I do retreat to the mountains for a few months of the year now- my chickens retreat with me. Nothing is so simple with fur and feathered babies.

I hope you find your answers. I'll keep watching

 

[Dinosaur Village Keeper]

@Dinosaur Village Keeper
I get what you are saying/asking. Looking for awesome ideas to help chickens remain self sufficient safely and comfortably for long periods of time. Could be a terrific and creative thread and I was looking forward to the responses.
I understand what other posters are saying too. Sounds like there is a compromise in there somewhere?

Years back my dh was flown off island with an infection in his head. I left my babies at the care of someone known, trusted and supposedly experienced and came back 5 days later to 3 dead birds and a $360 vet bill. Probably would have fared better with auto everything but the 5 days would have still been a stretch.

I have cared for others birds by them bringing them to me- another risk but i returned them all intact after 6 weeks- and I do retreat to the mountains for a few months of the year now- my chickens retreat with me. Nothing is so simple with fur and feathered babies.

I hope you find your answers. I'll keep watching

What happened to you is what keeps me home. I’m so sorry you went through that! I just posted asking about taking my chickens south with me half of the year! This is the thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/snowbirds…-we-all-want-to-go-south-for-the-winter.1568865/#post-26633386

I would love to hear anything you can tell me about taking them with you! How well do they handle it? Do they forget their home each time? How long is their travel day? Did you make their home in both places similar or completely different? How many chickens do you take with you? I would love to retreat to a warmer place in winter. The cold is becoming unbearable and so I don’t spend enough time outside with them. I missed 2 illnesses this year because I wasn’t watchful enough. I am still terribly heartbroken.

 

[TropicalBabies]

What happened to you is what keeps me home. I’m so sorry you went through that! I just posted asking about taking my chickens south with me half of the year! This is the thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/snowbirds…-we-all-want-to-go-south-for-the-winter.1568865/#post-26633386

I would love to hear anything you can tell me about taking them with you! How well do they handle it? Do they forget their home each time? How long is their travel day? Did you make their home in both places similar or completely different? How many chickens do you take with you? I would love to retreat to a warmer place in winter. The cold is becoming unbearable and so I don’t spend enough time outside with them. I missed 2 illnesses this year because I wasn’t watchful enough. I am still terribly heartbroken.

I retreat for the opposite. It gets hot and humid in the summers so I pack my chooks, a few cats and go up to cool off and live normally.
The travel time is less than 1 hour going slow on the windy road. I pack my flock in dog crates and they just sit down and relax. Pretty good travelers. Their set up is not like the one at home. The "summer palace" or main coop is an old retired and revamped Hawaiian style horse trailer. Nothing special at all just dry and safe. I give them poultry vitamins days b4 and after travel and I bring my first aide kit.
The second year they recognized going up and it was so easy it was scary. Recognize home too, don't miss a beat.
I keep them in the run at least 3 days b4 freeranging.
The mountain is almost 20° cooler sometimes and the temp change is worrisome but again, I bring my first aide kit. Helps having a boy or 2 or 3 depending on your flock size. Boys are great. Helps living in a fairly mild climate too- a lot.

I have cameras on both my runs- up the mountain and down. Really helps my peace of mind.
I also have to except risks no matter what. Down the mountain they can die of heat stroke and other complications. Up the mountain I have less security and a dog may do some real flock damage. I don't have a crystal ball, just try and do my best.

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

Comments about it being cruel to leave them will not be helpful. My birds are my world, but my life is short, and I want to be able to leave my house occasionally.

I don't think it's cruel as long as you have a person who can care for them, clean poo, and collect eggs.

When I started my flock I realized I just gave up any chance to leave for an extended period of time bc I DO NOT have someone to do all the things I need to do for them.

I do have them set up with 3 5 gallon feeders, 3 5 gallon buckets of water and a coop that can be left open. However, I don't like leaving it open, and I don't have someone to collect eggs, and that set up would buy me like 3 days...

Maybe take a wkend trip?!?!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Not sure about your living situation, but hubby and I generally take trips separately, so even if 1 is away the other is at home. We're not big on vacationing anyhow, so it's no hardship on us.

We went on vacation last spring for 3 days, and then went to visit family in fall for another 3 days - that was more time away together than we've had in 6 or 7 years combined!

 

[Tumbleweedlynn]

I found someone, after much effort (not exactly qualified though!) to spend 30 minutes a day at my house caring for my birds and the fee was $100 a day. Truthfully, I’d rather spend $50,000 creating a self care chicken set up and not have to rely on anyone. Being taken advantage of by someone and also having to trust them to care for the birds I love so much just doesn’t work for me! Money is irrelevant, morals are not.

I guess it is correct what @aart says, you can’t have your cake and eat it too. I will resign myself to never leaving my house for more than a day. It is, and always will be, still worth having my birds!! Thank you everyone for your advice.

I feel for your situation - we are leaving the country for 10 days in October, and I am having my chicken lady neighbor come and collect eggs and watch our chickens. She has a large flock, and although I don’t know her well, my husband trusts her character. I’m sure she will care for them well, it’s just nerve wracking. I do love my girls and boys, but I love the thought of Italy equally, so we will go enjoy our lives before they are over

 

[kmk]

I found someone, after much effort (not exactly qualified though!) to spend 30 minutes a day at my house caring for my birds and the fee was $100 a day. Truthfully, I’d rather spend $50,000 creating a self care chicken set up and not have to rely on anyone. Being taken advantage of by someone and also having to trust them to care for the birds I love so much just doesn’t work for me! Money is irrelevant, morals are not.

I guess it is correct what @aart says, you can’t have your cake and eat it too. I will resign myself to never leaving my house for more than a day. It is, and always will be, still worth having my birds!! Thank you everyone for your advice.

I went camping 20 miles from home for my only vacation last year. It was nice to get away. And I could come home BRIEFLY to check on the girls. It was better than no vacay at all. Wish you the best.