I plan on leaving chickens alone at least one week

[Little Fuzzy]

I would not worry for a minute about leaving my girls for a week, as long as you are sure that they live in Fort Knox. Free feed food and watering they should be fine as long as they have enough room in the run so there is not an aggression issue. My coop is separated from the run with a small auto chicken door that opens at 8:30am and closes at 8:00pm. Even though I free range all day I built my run big enough so I could leave them in there and go on vacation.

 

[Little Fuzzy]

I would be reluctant to do that unless absolutely necessary because of biosecurity. I would hate to have my flock catch something.

 

[6littlegirls]

I have a seperate run and coop. Plus an extended run by giving them use of our new green house. They will be fine while we are away. I have a some people checking in on them. I will try my best not to worry but I probably will the first time. It is like the first time you left your kids with a sitter.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

I would be reluctant to do that unless absolutely necessary because of biosecurity. I would hate to have my flock catch something.

How is bio security an issue? They are in the coop and run, no new birds, no wild birds, what am I missing?

 

[Little Fuzzy]

Oh Boy I DID'NT THINK YOU ASKED TO BE PSYCHOANALYZED HERE. Sorry about that. What I was referring to your biosecurity was when you said yu found a breeder that you could take your chickens to for chicken sitting while you are gone. I think it might be dangerous because the could pick up something at the breeders and bring it home. I wouldn't listen to the negative here. You can have vacations and have chickens.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

Oh Boy I DID'NT THINK YOU ASKED TO BE PSYCHOANALYZED HERE. Sorry about that. What I was referring to your biosecurity was when you said yu found a breeder that you could take your chickens to for chicken sitting while you are gone. I think it might be dangerous because the could pick up something at the breeders and bring it home. I wouldn't listen to the negative here. You can have vacations and have chickens.

Oh Boy I DID'NT THINK YOU ASKED TO BE PSYCHOANALYZED HERE. Sorry about that. What I was referring to your biosecurity was when you said yu found a breeder that you could take your chickens to for chicken sitting while you are gone. I think it might be dangerous because the could pick up something at the breeders and bring it home. I wouldn't listen to the negative here. You can have vacations and have chickens.

That was another poster who mentioned the chicken sitter/breeder. thanks yes take the best and leave the rest.

 

[ShanandGem]

I admire your determination to be self sufficient, I would spend my week worrying something had gone horribly wrong and not be able to enjoy myself lol.
I think it's a great plan for 'worst case' scenario, but maybe not something you would want to do several times a year. I have left my horses for the weekend with no ill effects.

 

[6littlegirls]

Everything is set for our week away. Food is good for 21 days as well as water. Water heater is working well at minus 6 celcius. Coop heater came on as well and went off as the temp warmed up. Green House was finished just before the snow came and the girls are enjoying it. They did venture out in the snow as well. They even did dust baths because the sun was out and found they could dig under the snow. We only got about a 1/2 inch.
Our sitter is setup to come by daily for eggs and check that everything is okay. We have timers on run lights to extend their daylight which they like now that the sun is setting around 6pm. I believe that they will be fine.

We are only 5 hours away if we need to get home.

 

[Little Fuzzy]

Have a happy vacation and don't worry.

 

[Thebernards]

I bought a commercial feeder that holds approximately 30 pounds of feed or so which lasts my girls for a couple weeks, it was expensive but worth it because I am lazy. I would suggest it for your vacation purposes. Oh, and lots of water. We did a 50 gallon rain bucket that attaches to a gravity waterer so we rarely have to give water (usually in summer but we then fill up the rain bucket and it lasts us forever and a day.) This would be another vacation system that would ensure time.

Look....I have 5 kids and a life that don't revolve around my chickens. Don't get me wrong, chickens are absolutely awesome and fun but so is Disneyland. I get it, lol.