vacations

[Dogue]

What do you do with your birds when you go on vacation?
I mean, with a dog, I can just board it at the vet.
But if I take a week long vacation, what do I do with my chickens?

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

I normally would pay one of the neighbor kids to watch them. Not sure how close your neighbors are but that was the easiest for me. Free eggs usually went over well with their parents too.

 

[bonnij69]

I to just encountered the same thing. I boarded my 2 pugs. My 6 hens had to leave themy for 5 days.Water was my main concern. So I filled their 5 gallon water can. I also filled large plastic type trays they look like garden pot bottoms. Their feeders are both hanging and I filled them to the top. They are very large. I just hoped their eggs would be OK. They also free range all day. Much to my surprise I came to 20 unbroken eggs all in one box. Food and water was not completely gone. So now I do know my girls can survive without me. Of course not having their daily treats made them a little upset. When I went out in my yard they came running and clucking all the way to greet mommy. I am used to this from my dogs but to see my 1 year old girls do it shocked me. Who knew raising chickens could give me more love. I'm more in love with my hens then I ever thought possible.

 

[RonP]

It just takes some advance planning.

I have around a dozen birds.

My run is as secure as my coop, birds have access 24/7.

My feeder is designed to hold in excess of a 30 day food supply.

My water supply will hold more than a 7 days worth.

I never allow either to empty under a 5 day supply.

I have had health issues forcing my leave for days on end, I want to know my birds will survive in my absence.

For a planned absence, I simply add a second waterer and fill the feeder.

Now they are good for 2 weeks...3rd waterer, 3 weeks...

 

[JayJo]

I have a similar question. I've heard the eggs have to be collected every day or the chickens will start to eat them and once they start, they never stop and have to be put down. Real thing or just an old wives' tale? Trying to figure out how much to stress about having someone come by every day vs. Just once a week to scoop the coop and top off their food.

 

[RonP]

Seems an egg eater has access to an egg after it is laid.

She doesn't know how long it was sitting in the nest.

Common reasons for chickens to eat their own eggs include:

Hard, solid floors. Research shows that egg layers who are raised in cages are generally less apt to eat their own eggs.

Overcrowding. If you don’t give your layer hens enough room in your backyard coop, the stress may provoke them into habits such as egg-eating.

Poor nesting space. If the nests you provide your hens are too small, or if there aren’t enough nests for your backyard chickens to share, the stress may provoke egg-eating and other poor habits.

Nutritional deficiencies. Farming research suggests that nutritional imbalances, specifically as it relates to vitamin D and calcium, may provoke egg-eating in layer hens.

Hope this helps.