Going on Vacation

[justduckie]

We leave next Friday for vacation and I'm trying to get everyone set up so the girl who's coming to feed and water will have an easy time.

Right now, I have a small enclosed area for my cochins who are 7 weeks old and their coop is half of a 8X16 shed. So I figure they have plenty of room. Their food and water are inside the shed and our "chicken sitter" will be able to get to them thru a small gate in the shed.

But my bigger pullets, they have a 8X10 coop but for the most part they have been free ranging. So I'm setting up a small yard for them and am wondering if I should enclose the top? They can fly......they made that really clear today.....so just to be on the safe side, should I run wire over the top? I don't want to come home to no chickens!

Our chicken sitter will only be coming by once a day and I have big dogs that are seperated from the chickens by the house and the yard, but if the chickens get to wandering too far, I know the dogs will have a really nice dinner....

That is the reason they got put on one side of the house and the chickens on the other. We figured a 100 foot buffer should hopefully keep them apart and so far we haven't lost any. The dogs are in an electric underground fence.

What do you do when you go on vacation? We will be gone 2 weeks. And the chicken/dog/horse sitter has already been chosen and will come by once a day to feed and water and collect any eggs she finds.

 

[hoosier]

I would leave the name and telephone number of your vet in case any of your animals need care while you are away. I usually let my vet know we will be away and ask them to charge any expenses. (Fortunately, nothing has happened while I was away.)

My sitters don't have the internet in their home, but I know that others have given their sitters info on how to get on a forum to ask questions while they are away.

Have a nice time on vacation!

 

[Tutter]

Yes, I would put a top on the run. It all but ends any chance, not only of them flying out and getting to the dogs, but of a bird coming in and getting to them.

I do like the idea of the vet, and also the person knowing how to get to this forum, should a problem arise.

I hope that you have a wonderful, and safe, trip!