Vacation

[Missbehavin]

I don't have any chickens yet but I would like to know if any of you leave your chickens for 4 days without you. What is your solution to this if you don't really have anyone to water and feed them. Is this impossible? I am planning on getting two chickens once my coop is complete in about a month. I have someone to feed and water them if I am gone but I would rather not bother anyone. I only leave for this long once or twice a year. So what do ya'll do?
Thanks in advance,
Debbie from central Texas

 

[mk4lh]

Hi Debbie,

We just recently took a mini vacation and had someone take care of the girls. I would be leerly of leaving them unattended for even a day. Mine are layers so the eggs have to be collected every day. Besides they would need fresh water & food. I don't know if you plan on closing your girls up at nite or leaving the house open. Sometimes you can find someone with a posting at your local feed store that can keep an eye on your girls while you're gone.
One other thing to keep in mind. I had read that it's better to have 3 chickens so just in case (heaven forbid) you lose one there is still two to keep each other company. Chickens are like us and they don't like being alone.

 

[7L Farm]

Its Murphy's law. If you have someone that can check on them by all means ask them too.You wouldn't want to come home to find something happened to the birds when you can get someone to check on them. I have never left my birds for even one night. I couldn't live with myself if something out of the ordinary happened & could of been corrected. Such as the water-er got drained are who knows what. Poor bird dies of thirst. No way.

 

[7L Farm]

Where are you in Central Texas maybe I can help?

 

[Missbehavin]

Out in the bastrop area.

 

[chickengrandma]

check out this thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=7005689

it lists pet (chicken) sitters

 

[speedy2020]

Quote:
I built treader feeder and nipple water system. And my 5 adult chickens doing fine without me for a month. I don't have problem get the neighbor come and pickup the free egg.

 

[7L Farm]

Quote:
I'm in Navasota. Too far sorry.

 

[BoltonChicken]

I have five BO chickens around 16 weeks old. I have a five gallon water bucket piped into the coop with nipple waterers. I have a five gallon gravity-fed feeder. I have a very secure coop with over 15 sg. feet per chicken in the run and 5 sq. feet of space per chicken in the coop. They have a 15 day supply of water and a 10 day supply of feed. I have absolutely no reservation about going out of town for a week or so if I want to.

Chickens don't really "need" you at all. They just rely on your water and food.

 

[pawsplus]

I would never leave w/out someone caring for my animals. I have dogs, cats, and horses as well as 4 chickens, so I hire someone to live at my house, do AM and PM chores, and hang w/ the dogs and cats in the evenings. If I had only the chickens I would hire someone to come in the a.m., open their door and feed and water them, and again in the p.m. to close them into their house and remove food (I don't leave it available as it draws predators).