How Do You Go on Vacation?

[Stephanie8806]

I don’t have ducks so I can’t advise for them... but for chickens, as others have stated, neighbors are great! I try to do any big chores before I leave, so that my neighbors just check in the morning and at night. Usually the offer to “keep any eggs you collect!” Is incentive enough! Also, if there are any kids or young teenagers in your neighborhood, talk to the parents and see if they’d be willing to send the kids over or come over with them... you could pay them $5 a day or something and the parents would probably be excited to give their kid a job and some new responsibility!

Anyone who I have watch the chickens, I have them come over at least once first, so I can show them where everything is and walk them through their duties. I also leave a check list of some form, and try and keep their job as simple as possible! Fill all your waterers and feeders, scoop poop boards or clean the coop, put treats out in an easy to find place. When I go out of town, all my neighbors need to do is bring them some water in the morning to top off waterers, toss out a treat, and then make sure they’re all inside at night after collecting eggs. Super simple!

I also return the favor when they are out of town and care for their cats

 

[PioneerChicks]

I set them up with lots of water and food, and usually someone comes by to check on them once or twice. Winter is harder, and chick season, and this year I plan on getting a lot more poultry. Poor pet sitters...

 

[featherhead007]

What is a "vacation"?

 

[TheFarm41]

Vacation - what is that? Sounds luxurious. We just stay home and enjoy our flock. We have chickens, ducks, turkeys, 6 pigs and 9 pregnant ewes about to pop. We ain't going anywhere anytime soon. No one will farm sit that many critters.

 

[JWarner]

I've been fretting about this too. Ever since we had the possum attack at the end of summer I won't leave their door from the coop to the covered run open anymore. Even though we have since found and addressed the area that the little sucker slipped through. I have thought about getting the automatic door that runs on a sensor, but some nights when the weather is real nice they like to roost in the run after the sun goes down until I go out there and convince (manhandle them as they yell at the indignity of being picked up by mother) them to go inside the coop. So I feel that they would just get locked out and that's not a risk I'm willing to take. We have 1 neighbor that I would consider asking to help us out, but she's not home much. The rest of the neighbors don't even like that we have cats...so imagine if I were to approach them about the chickens...

 

[Teenadie]

Neighbors. They have 9 kids! The 14 yr old takes care of them whenever needed. I pay her and they get to keep all the eggs while I am gone. Works out well!

 

[lifein1840]

Hello! I was just thinking, and there doesn't seem to be many threads about it. How do you go on vacation when you have ducks/chickens? If I get ducks, I need to be able to leave them for a couple days, and have someone come to check on them only once. Your ideas are very welcome!!

Get to know the other chicken/duck keepers in your area then take turns helping each other.

 

[Peggyjom]

Hello! I was just thinking, and there doesn't seem to be many threads about it. How do you go on vacation when you have ducks/chickens? If I get ducks, I need to be able to leave them for a couple days, and have someone come to check on them only once. Your ideas are very welcome!!

I only feed in the morning so the girls eat it all up I have a chicken guard door opener and an arlo camera that shows the door. Whe we leave on a two three day excursion I have two tube feeders I made from pvc I zip tie them to the fence and fill them I don’t feed in them all the time so I don’t attract rodents. But out three buckets of water and have a neighbor check them in the afternoon (take the eggs please) I do keep 1 bucket of water in the coupe in case the door fails I have time to put a call out to go open it please. It is risky but I did do it once left for an over night trip filled the food bowl lots of water and left the door open. I was a nervous wreck they were fine when we got home. You will not enjoy your trip doing that! I spent 160 dollars on a door when we got home and I love it I get to sleep in guilt free on the weekends.

 

[DucksKayak]

Hello! I was just thinking, and there doesn't seem to be many threads about it. How do you go on vacation when you have ducks/chickens? If I get ducks, I need to be able to leave them for a couple days, and have someone come to check on them only once. Your ideas are very welcome!!

I take my ducks with me on vacation.

 

[SusiesPeeps]

Hello! I was just thinking, and there doesn't seem to be many threads about it. How do you go on vacation when you have ducks/chickens? If I get ducks, I need to be able to leave them for a couple days, and have someone come to check on them only once. Your ideas are very welcome!!

This is a great question to consider. We've been thinking about this too as we are new chicken keepers since last April. We love our chickens and I'm somewhat sad to think about leaving them for a week of vacation we had planned a while back. We were supposed to go away last year but, due to the pandemic, it was cancelled. We're considering going to our local farm and feed store to see if they know of any young people, perhaps even 4-H members, who might be interested in a job for a week. I'm thinking I would hire someone to come over in advance several times to be with us as we feed the ladies, collect their eggs, and clean the runs, so they get our "system." I plan to make a list of the chores to leave for reference. Something I read in a couple of poultry care books that struck me as important is that if you have someone take care of your chickens, who cares for other chickens as well, consider buying some disposable shoe covers for that person to put on over their shoes before they enter the runs and coop. According to what I've read, one of the ways chickens can pick up diseases is from the bottom of shoes of people who visit other chickens who might be sick. They can introduce the germs on their shoes. Sounded like a good idea to me.