leaving for 2 weeks! is that okay?

Chickens rock!mysocks

In the Brooder
9 Years
May 29, 2010
35
0
32
Oregon
My family is going to boston for 2 weeks. i have 11 hens, and they have plenty of space inside their chicken coop to stay inside for 2 weeks. (not that they'll like it.) I don't want to let them out because i currently have a squirrel problem that im trying to fix,and if i leave the coop door open, the squirrels run in and take eggs. im wondering if its okay to keep them in there. i don't really have anyone that i trust enough to take care of my babies. is it alright for eggs to just build up for 2 weeks? the main worry i have is that their food or water feeder will fall over while we are away.
 
Even if everything went great, I, personally, would be a nervous wreck while I was away, and not able to enjoy myself. There are so many things that might happen. I was gone for 5 days a while back, and I had an chicken expert looking in on them once a day, and I was STILL a wreck if I didn't get my thumbs-up text at the end of the day. Your mileage may vary.

Even if nothing happens, it seems to me that 2 weeks of eggs building up in nests might be asking for breakage, but I'm not at that point yet, so I'll let someone more experienced than me address that issue.
 
If I were leaving for that long, I'd go out and buy a big waterer and feeder you can hang. That way, they can't knock it over or poop in it. I'd also put down extra pine chips, if that's what your using.

Not sure about the eggs. I'd imagine the hens may go broody or decide to eat the eggs themselves? I'm sorry you can't find someone to come and check every couple days. 2 weeks is a long time to leave.
 
2 weeks is a long time to leave the eggs I would think...I would worry about breakage and egg eating becoming a factor.Is there someone who can check on them at least every 2-3 days? There must be someone you trust enough to at least check food/water and collect eggs? I would think it would be better than 14 days with no one looking in...
I would not be able to stand leaving them for that long without someone checking in on them.So many things can happen.I would advise finding a caretaker at least every 2-3 days.
 
My concern would not be the build up of eggs so much as will they be dead when I get home. You don't say how many you have but they will go through a lot of water and they can't go very long without water.
I have left mine in coop for a weekend and it's amazing what they can do in just a couple days when they are not used to being confined day and night.
I would really try to find someone that could come at least every other day to give them fresh water and food.
 
Contact your local chapter of FFA to see if they know a responsible teen that would like a bit of spending money. Alternatively see if your local high school has a farm club or something similar. You might be able to get a caretaker that way.
 
No way would I do it, the heat alone is one factor, unless you leave windows open , then what if it rains? will the coop be locked from others who may come along? Food water ? I'm really against leaving animals for long periods with out folks looking in and seeing all is well.
 
Don't leave those birds without care. Its Murphy's law trust me. Something goes wrong & there dead when you return you will have a guilty conscious I know I would but I also know I wouldn't leave them without care. Its summer time there's plenty of young girls & boys that are looking to make a buck. Please, Don't leave them without care.
 
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Wonderful idea, my daughter would love jobs like this ! I would find some young person , summer is a great time to get help and extra money they need .
 
No way, absolutely not, and certainly not in the heat of summer! Water will be fouled up or spilled, food can run out, predators will have time to find a way inside, etc. You will probably come home to a dead flock after two weeks. Two days, maybe, but absolutely not two weeks.
 

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