How long do you leave your chickens?

[BeccaNS]

What's the longest you have ever left your chickens while you are in vacation?

 

[QueenMisha]

One month, several years back, but I had only 40 birds then and someone doing daily care of them.

 

[BeccaNS]

A week would be the most, just trying to figure out how often I need to plan someone to come by to check them

 

[lynnehd]

A week would be the most, just trying to figure out how often I need to plan someone to come by to check them

I feel like you need someone to stop by daily, if that's possible.

Nothing is fool proof, and you want to make sure their food and water are accessible, and that the coop/run is secure.

 

[Folly's place]

I always have someone checking daily, or twice daily if possible. Friends, neighbors, family; someone. Mary

 

[ChickenMammX4]

My sister-in-law comes by daily to check on the chickens and to collect eggs when we're gone.

I'm glad she does, last summer the string on the auto door broke locking the chickens in, the water is in the run so they had no access to water until she arrived.

 

[prinellie]

I agree someone should come - I would say twice a day. In the morning to let them out and at night to make sure they are in and safe. Going on vacation with animals is hard!

 

[MandyFitch]

We go away all summer. I have three different water sources and someone comes by every other day to refill the feeders, clean the poop boards and make sure all the water sources are working. My girls free range and put themselves to bed at night so they're easy.

Of course, disaster could strike and if the timing was bad, it could be a couple of days before anyone found out. That would be awful but it's the deal we made. They're fat, happy hens who will probably still be happily living out their retirement with me when my 4th grader goes to college!

 

[BeccaNS]

I have no idea how I'm going to handle living ours, they run free in the backyard with the kids most days.