How Much Time Do You Spend Caring For Your Chickens On Average?

BigSam89

In the Brooder
9 Years
Mar 1, 2010
22
0
32
Arizona
Hello,
I now have 4 Rhode Island Reds, 3 Dominiques, 2 Buff Brahma and 1 Buff Orpington chicks. When these chicks become full grown adult chickens how much time do you figure I'll spend caring for them? Just Curious. How much time do you guys spend caring for your chickens and how many do you have? Any input would be highly appreciated, Thank you.

Sam,
 
On the average day I spend about 30 minutes but on cleaning coops day about a hour and a half.
I have 60 chickens. 3 coops
 
I spend around an hour doing it. I'm slow.
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I spend an extra two hours visiting with them.
 
Naturally you can spend a very short time each day with them. A lot of people only want the eggs or food, so they just do the chores. I like spending at least an hour a day with them, especially the chicks. They need all the attention they can get, so they don't grow up flighty or non-friendly. Plus I want to show them, so I need them calm and open to new things. As for the current older girls, I'm around because I simply love them!
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For the chores end of it...about 20 minutes in the evening collecting eggs, counting heads and doing an overall check over. We have 30 chickens. When we clean the coop, DH and I usually do it together and it takes about 2 hours. But, we also use the deep litter method, so we only clean it out about every 4 months...in between we add more wood chips, so add another 15 minutes every 2 weeks for that. About 10-15 minutes a week filling the food bin and about the same to clean out the waterer every week or so (depending on weather). If we have a sick or injured chicken, then the time goes up, of course.

Non-chore-related time...hours!
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I have 2 coops, and a total of around 40 birds. On an average day, I don't spend any more than 30 minutes topping up their water and feed, collecting eggs, and observing them for a bit. If I have alot going on, I will occasionally go a day (or 2) without checking them, but that's not ideal. I do a coop cleaning/freshening about once a month, and of course this takes longer.
 
Well do you have any children ( at any age) well I spend as much time with my chickens and turkey and quail and soon to be my ducks as I did with my children

but for the most part ;
feeding and watering about a hour to 1 1/2 hr a day so so
collecting eggs well 15 -20 min.
cleaning they coop and runs about a 1/2 to a few hours a week
sitting and watching them 3-4 hours a day
re design the runs or coops well it depends always redoing them to fit there needs


My chickens -turkeys and quail and Ducks are my children now LOL seens all my children are grow up and with my grandchildren and there going througt parent hood on raise my grandkids LOL


Alan
 
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I currently have 2 pens of chickens and 1 pen with a pair of turkeys in it; on an average day I spend 3-4 minutes in the morning, and another 3-4 or so in the afternoon (less if it happens that nobody's water or feed needs topping up). Every few months I spend another half hour or so doing spot-cleaning of poo deposits and sweeping the aisle. About twice a year I spend an hour or two shovelling composted stuff out of runs and wheelbarrowing it to the compost or garden.

Of course I also spend a fair amount of time just hangin' out watching them
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Everybody has their own system - you can spend as mcuh or (to a large extent) as little time as you want. Having fewer chickens in more space, and a droppings board, help considerably.

Pat
 
I currently have three brooders, but dont clean them every day, though I do top off the wood shavings a little once a day.
It generally takes me 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the evening to take care of everybody. That doesnt count the time I spend with them "just because".
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