Scared to go out of town!

[Feather Chic]

I'm suppose to going out of town at the end of the month and I'm terrified to leave my babies! They free range during the day and I put them up at night. I have someone house sitting to take care of all my critters but I was thinking about leaving everyone in the coop while I was gone. Since they are used to free ranging all day I just feed them when I put them up at night. If I leave everybody in for like 5 days should I just do the automatic feeder? they are 17 weeks and no one is laying yet.

Thanks!

 

[Patinas]

I have left mine for 5 days and they did just fine. I have 21 chickens. Same situation as you in that only one was laying at the time. I used a 7 gallon waterer and 2.5 gallon one and filled to the brim. I also have an automatic feeder that holds about 20 lbs of feed and a backup feeder in the coop that holds about 10 lbs. Mine also are used to free ranging.

When I returned, they were all doing fine and still had a few days of water left and plenty of feed. Of course, they were itching to get out and range but no worse for wear!

 

[Feather Chic]

I also have ducks and they are all kept together. So I have someone staying at the house to give them fresh water. I have a plastic tub in there that holds about 4 gallons of water I change every night.

 

[AquaDuck]

Personally I think you're doing the right thing by keeping them cooped up while away. It would be horrible both for the chickens, you and the house keeper if something happened if they were let out to graze. They're safer and easier to look after in the coop.
You can leave some treats that won't go moldy for the keeper to give them, so they won't get bored. Other than that, they're going to be SUPER excited and love you extra much when you get home and let them out again!

 

[anatess]

I left mine for 10 days! I had my pet sitter check on water and food while we were gone but the chickens stayed cooped up the whole time. I opened the door wide when I got home and they just stayed in the coop doing their thing. I had to go spread treats outside the coop before they ventured out. Several of them stayed in their egg box so I lifted them up and took them out. They pecked the seeds for a couple minutes then went right back to the egg box...

Oh yeah, half my flock are already laying eggs the other half are not. One of the not-laying ones decided to start laying and sit on her 3 eggs and are one of the ones that pecked for a couple minutes outside and went right back to her egg box even when I took out the eggs.

 

[windyacre1]

I'm suppose to going out of town at the end of the month and I'm terrified to leave my babies! They free range during the day and I put them up at night. I have someone house sitting to take care of all my critters but I was thinking about leaving everyone in the coop while I was gone. Since they are used to free ranging all day I just feed them when I put them up at night. If I leave everybody in for like 5 days should I just do the automatic feeder? they are 17 weeks and no one is laying yet.

Thanks!

 

[windyacre1]

I know what your saying, I had to go out of town for a wedding and did not go for more than 3 days my chicks had just turned 18 weeks the week before i left and was their 1st week of laying of course. They are used to going outside too but I felt my coop is big enough and there is enough to do in there that was not by biggest concern. it was how many eggs will be piled up in the nesting boxes? I have 4 and only 6 chickens and i was afraid that there food and water would run out. I came back to 12 eggs because I have afternoon layers and I came home just in time for them to start laying, their water I had to switch to a open container because they go through the self serve containers to fast I need to get a bigger one, any ways it had poop in it not bad but enough and they are used to clean and boy did they poop a lot in 2 1/2 days. Have to get a chick sitter next time.

 

[Folly's place]

I keep mine in their coop and run when we're gone, and have a trusted person checking on them at least once a day. Friends, relatives, neighbors all can work out well. Mary

 

[Feather Chic]

I actually had someone stay here and let them out and bring them in everyday. I have ducks also and they are SUPER messy so I didn't want them cooped up 24/7 and in a messy coop. Everything went well. I even came home to this. ... (no one was laying when I left)