MWright936
In the Brooder
- Jun 9, 2016
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We have 4 hens (2 Rhode Island Red and 2 Easter Egger) that we keep in a coop most of the time, but almost every day we let them out into the back yard to run around. The coop is about 4'x8' (pictured below for reference), so they have room to move around inside, but they love to get out and "free range". We were thinking about going on vacation around the holidays for about a week or so. We will have people come check on them daily to fill food and water and check the nest boxes (they haven't started laying yet, but they should be soon), but we don't want them to be let out without "supervision". Their wings are clipped, so they can't escape the yard, but we're worried about predators getting them when nobody is around to watch them.
I say all that to ask: Will it hurt/stress them to leave them closed up in their coop for a week when they're used to getting out and running around on almost a daily basis?
Thanks!

I say all that to ask: Will it hurt/stress them to leave them closed up in their coop for a week when they're used to getting out and running around on almost a daily basis?
Thanks!