Raising chickens on weekends

[davidott]

I have a question about whether it's possible to raise a flock of healthy chickens while only tending them on weekends. We live in the city, and go up to a weekend plave every weekend, and spend summers there. Is it even feasible to consider designing a system that would permit raising a successful flock?

Thanks in advance

 

[MayberrySaint]

If you had a large enough feeder and waterers to last 5-6 days you could handle that problem. The biggest obstacle would be the collection of eggs...in hot weather you might lose some to spoilage and I'm sure that over a week period, the hens will probably break some as they lay in the same place day after day.
Your run and coop would have to be very secure...
With that said, I left mine for 4 days and didn't have any problems. Had a neighbor stop by and gather the eggs each day.

 

[2mnypets]

I believe you would have to have an extravagent set up to facilitate what you're asking. You would also have to have Ft. Knox to ensure predators won't get to them. There are a lot of things to take into consideration....housing, temperatures, feeding, cleaning, water, sanitation, predators, social behavors, diseases, infestations etc. The list could go on and on. I personally wouldn't recommend it, unless you had someone close by that could check up on them through out the week while you're gone.

 

[eggcetra_farms]

I've thought about this myself, as I live in the city but would love to have a bit of land where I could raise as many as I want. BUT I wouldn't want to feel as though I'm neglecting them.

 

[MayberrySaint]

At first I thought NO WAY!!! But then I started to logically think about my daily routine and what I do each day:
1. Let them out of the coop to free-range
so you would have to have a very secure coop and run to protect against predators
2. Fill feeder and waterers
solved by having numerous feeders and waterers in place
3. Collect eggs
this is the biggest problem
4. Play/interact with them
I would miss this, but whether my interaction really makes the hens happy is debatable...not really sure whether they would miss my presence or not

Cleaning is a weekly event that can be done on a weekends...

I think it is workable (not ideal) as long as you recognize that you may have more problems to deal with or predator losses during the week. If you had a neighbor who could stop by and check on things and collect eggs at least every other day I would say it would probably be successful. Maybe you could "pay" them with eggs.

 

[Frozen Feathers]

Yeah I wouldn't recommend it. What if something happens and you can't make it up on the weekend or one of the girls gets egg bound on Monday and you don't arrive until Saturday, you'll have a dead bird.

If you found some one who was willing to care for them everyday while you're not there...maybe...

 

[MissPrissy]

It is possible these days to automate such things as waterers, feeders, coop door opening, etc. It is possible to build a secure house and run. However substitute chickens for a dog. Would you pen up a dog and only come back on weekends to tend it?

I think it is unwise and irresponsible to have a flock and only be able to tend and care for them on the weekends without someone who can stop in once or twice per day to check on the general welfare and conditions of the chickens.

Predators determined to get in eventually will succeed. Illness and Disease are another concern. What if you had a chicken get sick on tuesday morning? Does it go unattended until Friday night or Saturday morning?

I am sorry if this reads harshly. It is very important that the lives of these animals trusted to our care be taken very seriously. We are the humans, the decisions makers, the trusted ones to be responsible and act in the best welfare for the stewardship of our lands and livestock.

Please don't get any animals if you can't tend to their needs on a daily (sometimes hourly) basis. Think about the worse case scenerios. That should help your decision making.

 

[Southern28Chick]

We had someone else ask that on here before and everyone said absolutely no don't do it. I would think it would be like have a dog out in a pen and you only come to see it on the weekends. If something happened to the dog like on Monday, you wouldn't know about it until Friday night or Saturday. The same with chickens, worst for chickens actually since every predator in the world loves chicken. Who would lock them up at night?

What about the eggs. They would just sit there all week long and probably get eaten by the hens before you could gather them.

Fresh feed...fresh water...I wouldn't do it and I'd feel really bad knowing someone else was doing it. Sounds like neglect to me.

edited: noticed MissPrissy was making the same points I am at the same time I was typing.

 

[spottedtail]

I wouldn't do it unless you or someone else can tend to the chickens once a day because situations will arise that require more immediate attention than "just on weekends".

spot

 

[MayberrySaint]

I would disagree...I think that someone can create a workable solution and care for their animals properly. Being there everyday does not ensure proper care...as clearly illustrated in numerous posts on this board. Chickens are also not dogs...they don't crave human companionship. As far as predators go...there are hundreds of threads on this forum of terrible losses and those occurred when someone was checking on the flock daily. If the coop and run are built securely, with motion detector devices to turn on lights or radios...those losses could be less with a weekend caretaker than in a less secure situation with someone taking care of the flock twice a day. One concern would be an acute illness that could not be attended to promptly. You could possibly lose a few hens because of that.

Those of you who think it is neglect...why??? If they are provided with adequate housing and feed and water...have access to a nice run...