How closely to monitor

[lizzy14]

Hi all, I have a question that may seem kind of dumb... We are getting chicks Aug. 15 and are first-time chicken owners. So excited! I'm wondering if they'll be okay left home alone when hubby and I are work. Would you guys generally recommend monitoring them closely the first week? My husband mostly works nights and I work P/T days (25 hrs./wk), so the longest I think they would be left alone is 6 hours. So how often should they be checked on? I plan to have them in a plastic brooder in one of our bathrooms with the door closed so that the cats & dogs can't get to them, but I think the main concern would be temperature.
My husband works 2 min from home and I have a flexible schedule and I could probably bring them in with me if I needed! I'm picturing it now and I'm not sure it'd be a good idea lol

 

[HEChicken]

As long as they are safe from predators, have enough food and water to last the time you are away, have a warm zone (heat lamp) and a less warm zone (a place they can get out of the heat), they will be fine. Many people have no choice but to leave chicks much longer periods of time than 6 hours, if they work a full day and have a long commute at either end. Chicks are actually pretty self-sufficient and will probably not even notice you haven't checked in on them for awhile.

 

[Blue_Myst]

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I would recommend finding a way to keep the food and water slightly elevated off of the floor, if you haven't all ready. This way the bedding won't clog up the water while you're gone, and the chicks won't dig the food out quite as much. If they're tiny and you worry about them falling in the water, just put a few marbles in the dish part, and they'll be good to go!

Good luck with them, in advance!