I want chicks but have some ?'s...

[ChickySteph]

Ok, we live in south Texas on 5 acres. I have wanted chickens for a long time, but my hubs is less than thrilled with the idea. He says what are we going to do with them when we are gone for the weekend or out of town for a vacation or something? I don't really have an answer for him. We have only one neighbor and they are a VERY elderly couple who couldn't come and care for them. So, my question is: what does everyone do with their chickens when they are gone?

Can they stay in their coop and run by themselves for a few days? How old do they have to be to do this? What about when they are chicks? Can they self sustain with enough food and water?

I feel pretty ignorant asking this but I really have no idea...I mean people do go out of town and own chickens right?

lol

 

[Katy]

For a week-end it probably wouldn't be a problem, but longer than that and you really need someone to come check on them and refill food and water dishes. My sis drives 17 miles one way, the one week of the year that we go anywhere. .....she says she owes me tho because I babysit her 5 kids whenever she needs me to!

 

[Lanissa86]

Not too sure on your question, but just wanted to say Hi to another Texan here!

I live here in San Antonio!!! I was thinking the same as you, hopefully people will give great ideas! Also, what do you BYC'ers do when you have to live the house all day and you do not have an egg turner when incubating?

 

[arlee453]

Yep - they can go a couple days if you have large enough feeders and waterers that aren't spillable.

Longer than that you'd need someone to come check on them at least a couple times in a week.

 

[ticks]

I would have a neighbor or friend check the water to make sure there is enough

 

[Alexis]

We actually "hire" help in the form of a 14 year old who lives in town (within bike riding distance) because she just loves all sorts of animals. We call her our farm sitter. She comes out, makes sure the chickens have food and water and collects the eggs. Part of her pay is getting to keep all the eggs, which her family thinks is great.

We pay her ten bucks a day (at least half of what actual house sitters would ask in our area), or 5 bucks a visit. We often ask her to come out twice a day because we have goats who like to stick their heads through the fence and get stuck. Aside from also feeding the goats, she also walks our dog, feeds the cats and collects our mail. This summer, we're going to California for 2 weeks, and she'll get asked to water our garden, do some light weeding and enjoy a pay increase for the extra work.

It really frees our family up to get away from it all once in awhile, without stressing out.

 

[kodiakchicken]

This will be our first year with chickens, but we have 2 dogs, 2 cats and 2 rabbits and occaisionally we HAVE to get off the rock. We just hire a housesitter or someone to check on the animals a couple times a day. Have done teenagers in the past but this year I opted for someone a little older. Look for folks in roommate situations who would love to have a place of their own for a week or two! That's how we found the gal who housesat for us when we went to Mexico. She loved animals and loved having a house to herself. I even loaned her my car, as she didn't have one. It worked out great.

 

[carousel]

I trade hous/critter care with some friends. I let their dogs out, or they let mine out etc. Chickens have become a BIG plus! They come check on the chickens and I tell them to take any eggs waiting for them in the nest boxes. This winter when the girls were not laying much I saved some eggs for them.
I have a set up that I feel fine to leave them for the weekend but my friends like to come anyway <G> they want the eggs <G>. My friends live 3-5 miles away.
CS

 

[Chicken Nugget]

About once a month we go out of town for the weekend. We fill up the feed and water right before we leave and the hens do just fine. We're never gone for more than two days, though.