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melanipetty

melanipetty

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I'm thinking about starting a backyard flock. I'm very overwhelmed by all the things to take into consideration. Would like to get them this spring but I'm not going to until I have the coop built, per all the advise I've read. I know from owning horses that farm animals are a big commitment and don't want to do this just because. One question I have is how much time do they take per day on average. And when you go out of town what do you do. Our horses are boarded but we are self care but do have someone to fill in at the barn if we're gone. Sorry for the long post, I'm new to forums as well, first post ever. Thank you Melani
 
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You might want to do some reading in our learning center for some tips and hints on building a coop, raising and caring for a chicken flock...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/1/Learning_Center

Chickens don't take an incredible amount of work each day, but they are a responsibility to be taken seriously. And you also want to have time to spend with them each day just for the enjoyment of keeping them. As for going on vacations, we don't. Unless you have someone that is responsible enough to care for your birds, then you don't go. At least this is my humble opinion.
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Good luck in life and enjoy all your adventures!
 
Hello :frow and Welcome To BYC! X2, you will probably find yourself spending more time with them as pets, for the entertainment they provide, than doing chores. Adult chickens don't really require a great deal of work each day, collecting eggs probably takes the longest. Change water every day or two, and feeding them...chickens are usually free fed so you can get feeders that hold days worth of food. Once you have the coop/run built and set up, you have to clean the coop occasionally (depending on the method you decide on, that may only be a couple of times a year), add new bedding once in a while, and occasionally inspect and treat them for worms/lice/mites are the biggies.
Most people seem to try and have friends or neighbors etc stop in every day or two and check the chickens... usually for the eggs they collect. We like to have somebody stop in at least once a day if possible, even if they don't have to do anything besides collect eggs, just to be sure all is OK. While just leaving them alone is not ideal (what if something goes wrong), it is doable, especially if just for a couple of days. How long they can be left depends on your set up, that is the nice thing about chickens usually being free-fed, if you have multiple feeders and waterers out just figure how long will they last and give yourself a good safety margin. Eggs are a potential problem, they may be OK for a couple of days, but too many eggs in the nests can lead to broken eggs and egg eating etc, bad habits for them to get into, you might want to check into roll-away nests if they will be left often.
 

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