leaving chickens while on vacation

mhamilton

Songster
6 Years
May 11, 2013
159
5
101
Idaho
I just started my first flock, they are about 4 weeks old. If we go on vacation, or even just Leave for a weekend, what Preparations should I do before I Were to leave?
Obviously enough food and water, but what about eggs? Should I have someone collect them? Our let them hatch (I have a rooster so they will be fertile, or mostly) what about being confined in the coop, I don't want to leave the door open, for critters to find my chicks, but I wouldn't want them to Be "cooped up" either. I have no plans to leave right now, but I'm sure someday we will want to, i just want to be prepared.
 
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Your chicks wont be laying eggs at 4 weeks old. It takes months for them to start laying.
I have left my flock alone numeroud times.

Just left a bunch of food and water, I also hd one of my neighbors stop by to make sure they didnt eat/drink everything.
Wouldnt worry to much...
 
Well I'm think next year is when we might be looking for property to buy, away from here, so We might have to Leave for a week, I'm trying to figure this out way ahead of time, so i am well prepared and my birds Will be ok. I'll probably pretend to Leave for a weekend, and check on then like someone else would, to see how They'd do.
 
If you leave in the summer you have to think about the heat. Will your coop over heat in the summer?

We have someone come in 2 times a day to open and close our chickens up, collect eggs, and feed and water them.
 
I see. Always good to plan in advance.

I have been away for 5 days max. Had a neighbor come over day 3 to check on the ladies and grab the eggs for me (even though they would be fine out there for a few days)

Here is the feeder i bought: https://www.backyardchickens.com/products/12-lb-metal-hanging-poultry-feeder
I filled this up to the top and there was still food left in there 5 days later, with 7 full grown hens sharing

I also bought a shallow plastic storage bin, similar to this one:http://www.plasticboxshop.co.uk/hom...ini-shallow-plastic-storage-box-with-lid-p222
filled it with water, but I also have an automatic waterer bolted to the outside of their coop. It hooks up to the house and works with a float (kind of like a toilet) so they will always have fresh water. Here is the link for the automatic waterer: http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Automat...oat-Sheep-Livestock-Farm-Animal-/261216785280 (i think its cheaper on Amazon though).

Just a few helpful suggestions! Good luck with your new chicky babies! I just added to my flock. first it was 7, then 11, now 17!
 
Yes, automatic waterers and feeders , great! I don't know how much I trust The people we know to come here while we're gone. Just a little flaky.
 
We are having the same problem. We will be on vacation this summer. Typically we board our dogs. This year we may just have some one house sit for the same amount of money it would cost to board the dogs. This way I don't have to count on others to come twice a day to let chickens out and put them in at night.

It may also depend on your coop too. We have a large coop with an run attached. Even so we lock the chickens in the coop every night. We have three hens and six pullets.
 
Yeah, we have a large coop with a run too, but I let them out and in every day. Even if it's just into the run, i physically open it. I don't know if i trust all our wild critters to stay away if I left their door between the coop and Run open. And how happy would they be in their coop alone for several days?
 

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