water & feed ideas needed for vacation

[choopes]

It happens every year about this time, the wife wants to go visit relatives in Denver. I think I can leave enough feed and water for 2-3 days now. Is it even practical leave a flock unattended for 9 or 10 days? I have gone as long as 2 1/2 days. But the bigger problem is how dirty the water gets. I did the thing where I turn a 5 gal. bucket upside down in a larger shallow pan, but its so full of dirt and sand by the 3rd day. I have 2 1gal. water dispensers now.My feed dispensers are about the same size, but dispense a dry mixture of cracked corn and laying mash. I'm thinking both would need to be upgraded. Can anyone share a product that has helped solve this problem. or other ideas or suggestions? I wish I had a neighbor close by to call on, But I don't. I have 5 hens, 1 rooster, and a goose. My water dispensers are on a wood pallet, not on the ground.

 

[NightOwl3]

I haven't gone on vacation and left my chickens for that long, but we did build this kind of a feeder this summer and we only have to fill it about once a week. We used a 3" pipe and its about 3.5 feet long for 6 hens. You could get a 4" pipe and make it longer so it holds more.

The 5 gallon bucket with chicken water nipples might work for your watering problem if you are not in a climate that the water will freeze.

http://crazyhomesteading.blogspot.com/2012/08/diy-chicken-feeder.html

 

[aart]

I would be more concerned about a problem arising and no one with chicken know-how to solve it while gone that long.
Predators?
Egg collection?
Feeder/waterer failure?
Behavioral issues/injuries...if space is not adequate for that long of a confinement.

 

[kishfsrm2000]

It happens every year about this time, the wife wants to go visit relatives in Denver. I think I can leave enough feed and water for 2-3 days now. Is it even practical leave a flock unattended for 9 or 10 days? I have gone as long as 2 1/2 days. But the bigger problem is how dirty the water gets. I did the thing where I turn a 5 gal. bucket upside down in a larger shallow pan, but its so full of dirt and sand by the 3rd day. I have 2  1gal. water dispensers now.My feed dispensers are about the same size, but dispense a dry mixture of cracked corn and laying mash. I'm thinking both would need to be upgraded. Can anyone share a product that has helped solve this problem. or other ideas or suggestions? I wish I had a neighbor close by to call on, But I don't. I have 5 hens, 1 rooster, and a goose. My water dispensers are on a wood pallet, not on the ground.

 

[kishfsrm2000]

I use a hanging feeder to keep the poop out. Small feeder lasts 2 birds four days when full. I have seen some fairly large one at the feed store. I set up a rain barrel under the coop downspout with a pvc pipe into the coop and watering nipples. 55 gal lasts a long time even without rain. i check nipples every other day, just in case, but so far no problems in a month since installed.

 

[henless]

I use a bucket feeder and bucket waterer for my hens. Links to both are in my sig.

I have 15 hens. I change their waterer once a week, but it's not empty when I change it. The feeder holds 25 lbs of feed and last about 2+ weeks. Both should work well for your 6 chickens, but the waterer would not work for your goose.

Even if you do get the feed/water situation worked out, you still need someone to at least check in on them every day or so. Just in case something comes up.

 

[kishfsrm2000]

You could install a coop cam to monitor the troops. Dropcam costs about $100.

 

[pdirt]

You might consider asking a friend or neighbor to collect eggs every other day or so and fill their feed and water. They get fresh eggs and you get your chickens cared for.

A horizontal nipple bucket saves our lives. For 23 chickens, I refill the 5 gal bucket about once week. We also have a treadle feeder that holds about 30 lbs of feed, which lasts them about 8 days.