How Far Away Can I be from my Chickens?

[quailheart]

Right now we live in a neighborhood where chickens are not allowed (so we have quail) and we are planning to get a lake/river house with chickens in the next couple years. The only problem is it would be around 3 hours away from our house and we wouldn't be able to check on the chickens every single day. If we got chickens at our lake house, how long could we leave them unattended? Would it even be possible to get chickens at a lake house?

 

[centrarchid]

You lack resources to keep chickens. You will be one that likely should not attempt it unless someone lives at that residence that can fill for you.

 

[quailheart]

Ok. Thanks for telling me!

 

[Peppercorngal]

I agree. I knew a man that put chickens on his ranch an hour away from his home. He wasn't able to go care for them and it didn't work out for the chickens at all. Get my meaning? They were caught by predators because he couldn't cage them or they would starve. Yeah, not a good idea at all.

 

[NatJ]

I personally would not have chickens unless I could be there at least once every single day.

Here's a specific concern:

Do you live in an area where water freezes in the winter? Does the power ever go out?

Chickens need liquid water available at least all day (while they're awake.) When the weather gets cold, you can provide this by going out several times a day to give fresh water, or by using an electric water-heater of some sort.

If the power goes out, it's likely to be at the same time the weather is below freezing (ice knows down trees, that knock down power lines.) So that leaves the chickens without water. Can you drive over there to give them some? Probably not right after an ice storm or snowstorm.

(There are many other reasons to check on chickens regularly, but that's the first one that came to mind.)

 

[rosemarythyme]

3 hrs away is definitely a no go for me. 3 minutes away, sure, you can just walk there. You could be there everyday.

3 hrs away... how often can you drop everything you're doing to go running over there because there was a glitch in the auto door, or a predator prowling around, or rodents got into the feed and emptied out a week's worth in a couple of days?

 

[Acre4Me]

3 hours sounds too far for that to reasonably work. Some BYCers report have “self-sufficient” flocks that can be fine for up to a week without tending. However, they are at home. The owner either has a busy alternating schedule or has to travel, which is why they setup the chickens this way. The coop and run are treated as one where it is all very secure from predators (no free-range) and are often 24/7 setups where coop is open to the run -no auto door. Flocks are not very large. There is enough water and food for longer than expected and rodents are managed so they are not eating the food.

In your situation, it seems a high of a probability that a crisis could occur with the chickens.

ways to make that work: hire a person/neighbor to daily check flock health, water and food, and run security (no breeches), also they should collect the eggs. Install a camera or two to monitor the area and flock For your own knowledge.

Enjoy your quail! We had them for awhile and loved the small eggs-so versatile!

 

[quailheart]

Thanks everybody! We are looking for a closer lake house now, at the most 1 hour away so we can check on chickens whenever we have to.

 

[centrarchid]

Thanks everybody! We are looking for a closer lake house now, at the most 1 hour away so we can check on chickens whenever we have to.

I have a flock 20 minutes away that is checked at least once daily. It is not ideal, especially when something goes wrong. Most goings wrong occur at night or during bad weather. Flock at home can be checked in underwear at a moments notice.

If chickens kept indoors with protections and electricity, then an hour or more drive is OK but ideally check every day.