Leaving country for a week.. need ideas !

[toredano]

As it says.We will be leaving for 9 days to Germany. My goats are taking care off.. but my flock isnt.. yet!
I have 2 coops.. 2 different flocks but they can co- mingle if needed be in a huge enclosure.I cant figure out how to keep water from freezing.. unless I get another plunge heater for a trough maybe?
Any ideas? it will be end of Dec, first of January when we leave.And we will be back on the 9th or so

 

[Folly's place]

When we are gone, we have neighbors, friends, and family members to ask for help. Daily or twice daily visits are best, and necessary, IMO.
Set things up ahead of time, emphasizing 'easy', so nobody has to move animals, just make sure there's food and water available. Big round hay bales, already in place, waterers that can be filled from outside of the fence, heaters in water tanks and running fine.
Extra heaters if one dies!
Phone numbers for the veterinarian, with notes about how to handle disasters if you are unreachable. $$$ mentioned ahead of time for vet care.
Any animals who could be dangerous (billy goat? nasty roosters?) either gone, or confined so nobody needs to handle them!
Mary

 

[Folly's place]

More than enough feed, easily accessed, again, so the farm sitter has to expend minimal effort to refill feeders.
Free eggs while you are gone! If they are left, breakage will occur, and you will have a total mess.
A plan if the power goes out, for your critters and the house, so the pipes don't freeze...
Mary

 

[wamtazlady]

For my water here in NW Montana I use an 11 gallon tote, horizontal nipples, and a stock tank deicer that is rated for use in plastic. That keeps about 12 birds in water for a little over a week. You are right. No way to reliably keep water thawed unless you use some sort of electrical device.

 

[pintail_drake2004]

When I leave, I rely on my homemade auto feeders. One holds about 100# of feed, the smaller one will hold 50# of feed. I fill them up the day I leave and I know they will be good for a while with 40 birds. The 5gal automatic waterer with horizontal nipples has a stock tank heater, and will usually suffice for 7 days in the winter, and 3-5 days in the summer.

I try to use the KISS method when I have someone else tend to my stock. I make things as easy and automatic as possible. This is better for them and the birds. We left for 2 weeks to Europe last summer, and my folks just had to fill up the water bucket 3x. I also bust a full square bale of hay in the run before I leave. This gives the chickens something to scratch and eat if they can't get let out.

 

[toredano]

For my water here in NW Montana I use an 11 gallon tote, horizontal nipples, and a stock tank deicer that is rated for use in plastic. That keeps about 12 birds in water for a little over a week. You are right. No way too reliably keep water thawed unless you use some sort of electrical device.

Yep..so.,. I got one of those nipple thing waterer.. none of my birds know or learned how to use it. We use regular circle waterer.. but I need something bigger for a deicer.. i think i will use a shallow pan with an deicer rated for plastic.

 

[toredano]

When I leave, I rely on my homemade auto feeders. One holds about 100# of feed, the smaller one will hold 50# of feed. I fill them up the day I leave and I know they will be good for a while with 40 birds. The 5gal automatic waterer with horizontal nipples has a stock tank heater, and will usually suffice for 7 days in the winter, and 3-5 days in the summer.

I try to use the KISS method when I have someone else tend to my stock. I make things as easy and automatic as possible. This is better for them and the birds. We left for 2 weeks to Europe last summer, and my folks just had to fill up the water bucket 3x. I also bust a full square bale of hay in the run before I leave. This gives the chickens something to scratch and eat if they can't get let out./qote

I got 15 birds ( 1 rooster).. 5 gallons should be plenty then. Friend of ours will check for water .I will look into a different waterer then.. thank you

 

[wamtazlady]

Yep..so.,. I got one of those nipple thing waterer.. none of my birds know or learned how to use it. We use regular circle waterer.. but I need something bigger for a deicer.. i think i will use a shallow pan with an deicer rated for plastic.

I have read that others have the same problem. I just put the nipple waterer in the run, take away other sources of water, and assumed the birds would figure it out. I have never been disappointed. Each batch of chickens has learned to use the nipples within a couple hours. The neighbors on either side of me also had free range chickens. Their chickens learned to drink from my nipple waterers rather than go home to their water bowls.

I really have no clue as to why some have an easy time of changing to nipples and others say their chickens just won't get it.

 

[Cerenity]

I have heard from some other folks (related to horses, but, I can't imagine that it wouldn't apply to chickens) that sometimes the local 4-H or FFA organizations can assist to check on livestock for a small fee. It might be worth reaching out to have someone swing by to make sure the water isn't frozen.

 

[Nor-Cal Chickens]

Maybe a circulation pump to keep the water from freezing