So what is the typical day like?

[truckerswife]

I get up at 4:45 am. Coffee, computer, news. Then, go out to coop when daylight peaks. Let the girls out into their fenced chicken yard also known as "Cackleberry Corner"and feed rabbit, wild birds and squirrels after I check hen feeder/water and spread scratch on the ground.

I get home from work at 3.... I take a carrot treat to rabbit and let the girls have "recess", which means they get to free range the backyard for the rest of the day. As soon as sun goes down I "put them too bed", count them and make sure everyone is dry and comfortable and heat lamp on if freezing temps.

Been this every day for the last 7 years, it's routine now.

 

[FarmerChick]

I take care of me and the family first in the morning.

Chickens are fed 1 time per day. (300 of them)

Hogs are fed 2 times per day. (100 of them)

Goats are fed 1 time per day (or every 3 days or so in summer)
30 of them

Cattle are fed 1 time per day.
20 of them


rest of the day is barn work when and if we get to it. right now fixing front end loader that is broke and it is taking Dh and Fil's time to work on it.

So day is around the farm doing chores and home to do inside chores and make goat milk soaps I sell.


usual day I guess.

 

[briteday]

I currently have 6 RIR hens. Since it is cold here overnight (0- teens) and they have access to pellets and water in the coop, I wait until the sun is up over the mountain and shining on their coop before letting them out. So for most of last month that was around 8:30, now it's getting closer to 8AM.

I go out and take them a bucket of greens with a bit of scratch, throw it in the outdoor enclosure, lower the door from the coop to let them out, check water/food/oyster shell, tidy the coop up if there is too much poop around, collect any early eggs.

I check for eggs again around 10AM - noon, I might visit and check for eggs if I have a chance around 3 (but not always), and then I check for late eggs and close them into the coop around 5-6PM.

 

[Robin'sBrood]

Quote:
We only have 4 chickens so our day is pretty easy. My DH normally opens the dog-house-turned-chicken-coop before he leaves for work, around 6:45. Unless the rooster crows to let me know they need something, I don't normally feed/water them until around 8:00, while the coffee is brewing. I usually lock them up soon after dark. No eggs right now but when they were laying I would check for eggs a couple of times a day. So yeah, my chicken chores are easy.

 

[ArizonaDesertChicks]

Our 11 chickens are super easy to care for right now. We live in a warm climate and they are in a 3 sided open coop attached to an enclosed 7' x 13' dog run (including the open sided coop, their area is 7' x 17').

Every morning, they leave their roosts and enter the dog run (where the food and water is) on their own. I (or one of my daughters) go out around 10 or 11 a.m. and open the gate to their run so they can free range in our back yard. We also check their food & water at this time (no ice to break here). They free range on their own (with our two dogs as predator deterents) for a few hours at a time twice daily and are very easy for us to put back into the run when we want to (they come running everytime they're called). Sometimes we go out and give them treats or hold them (they're quite friendly), but this is not on any type of schedule. They are only 3 months old and not laying, so no eggs to collect yet.

 

[EngieKisses]

I wake up between 7 and 7:30. I also came from a family where animals are first. We feed and run the dogs, there are 4 of them, first. The bearded dragons and turtle are turned on in passing while running the dogs outside. Then we take out scratch and water for the chickens. We change their water out and check to see if they need feed in their feeders. All cleaning is done on an as needed basis. There are two coops, one with standards and one with bantams with 15 total. They do not get too messy very fast, their coops are nice sized.

 

[TerriLaChicks]

Interesting to read everybody's daily routine!

I get up at 6, let the dogs out & back in, feed the dogs & cats (3 dogs, 2 inside & 1 outside, 3 cats, 1 inside & 2 outside).
After coffee it is daylight enough to go back outside & open the coops - I currently have 2 coops, 1 with my 3 grown hens & 1 with the 8 young ones I hatched out myself a couple months ago--
& give them all a treat of some sort & they go out into their runs. We have to keep them confined at all times due to lots of predators in our area.

I go to work at 7:30 & at lunch 1-2, go back home (I work 3 miles from the house) & give all of the chickens fresh water & replenish their food - they have free choice flock ration available all day long & a lot of times will give them some fresh greens or oatmeal & spend a few minutes watching them & talking to them. I also gather eggs at this time from my 3 laying girls.

After work (4:30) I again feed dogs & cats & at sunset the chickens all go into their respective coops & I lock them up for the night.

 

[notsooldmcdonald]

It's so interesting to read about the routines!

I'm up at 5:30, turn on water for tea, make my DH coffee, let the dog out, and put together 4 cups scratch+BOSS as well as a couple apples or someother veg (21 chickens). DH goes out around 6 to toss treats in the pen, open the pop door and collect early eggs/check on everyone. I try to get home by 4, when I collect the rest of the eggs, check water, feed, and fluff the shavings. Usually I hang out for a bit with them, it's a great way to decompress from what is usually a very hectic day AND make sure everyone's in good health.

Weekend routine is a bit different, we go out a little later and I spend more time futzing around the coop.

It's a lot of fun!
-Christian

 

[congdon476]

Wow- great thread guys, and thank for the answers! It sounds like it's a good split between coffee first, animals first. Seems like the more animals people have, the more likely they are to get up and out early to take care of them. Looking forward to finding out how we do!

 

[gkeesling]

I live in Indiana and just started with chickens and have 12 BR and 9 RIR that are 8 weeks old and living full time in their coop and run now. I get up at 5:30, eat breakfast, read the paper my daily devotion. Then I go out to put out feed for the steers (10), check on the chicken feed and water and open the coop door to the run, then go give the grand daughter's rabbit (1) food and water if needed. Then I'll leave for work at about 6:45. when I get home from work (about 5:00) I'll go out to the chicken coop to check on things. when it's getting dark I'll go out to be sure all the chickens are back in the coop and shut them in for the night.