"weekend warrior" flock owners (with careers)

[johnsons-r-us]

I’m wondering how many of us on this forum are “weekend warrior” flock owners? With professional careers, working full time and keeping your flock in check. How do you do it all?

What are your goals? What challenges have you had with your flocks? What are some of the joys they bring?

I’m an accountant. Always wanted to live on a farm but grew up in the city, have traveled much of the United States but lived in cities nearly all my life. Some kids grown, a couple still at home, we are a busy family!

We are finally in the country with a small property and can have some farm animals. I work full time. My chickens are easy to care for but I do not have much time during the week to do anything but general maintenance. Weekends I spend more time, especially since the light hours have dimmed a bit.

I love my eggs!

We have so many we can't possible use them all so we donate to our church food pantry. I do want to try some dp birds and have decided on WR’s this spring. My current flock will stay like it is and I’ll add another small flock with another coop. All of them free range. I am able to let them out before work and shut the pop door when they put themselves to bed at night. Hubby helps with whatever I ask (mostly the construction/building/fixing parts) but knows to leave the egg gathering and feeding to me! I love those chores and just watching them a few minutes each day is a stress reliever if it’s “been one of those days”. At this time I have no run, just the coop. I may try to raise a few CX just for the experience if I can pick up a couple at a TSC or feed store. I just don’t want the mess and hassle of raising a bunch of them as it does take more time and work and they seem to be so messy and smelly. I’m thinking my dp flock will be self-sustaining and provide the meat/eggs that I will want. We’ll see. I haven't had my chickens long enough to have any problems yet. Hope that's still a while off!

So, how about you?

 

[chicmom]

You've described me to a T! That is exactly my situation....I work all week, and I'm very involved with the flock during the summer, but now that it's dark by 6pm, I just do the maintenance and then I spend a bit more time with them on the weekends.

The other day, I had to do my chicken chores in the dark because I didn't come home straight after work.......The chickens are definitely a form of therapy for me....They give me alot of joy and we really enjoy the eggs.

In the summer, I fuss over them alot more and I also garden. I was a city kid too, and now that I live in the country I just love it!

I'd like to raise meat birds as well.......Thinking about doing that in the spring.....

Take care,
Sharon

 

[johnsons-r-us]

I know there are others out there!

So you have never raised meat birds before either? Which ones are you considering? How long have you had your chickens? How many and what kind do you have? Have you had to cull yet? So many things even for the small flock owner. Have you introduced new chickens to your original flock?

 

[MrMiagi]

I, too, am a full time - work outside the home - employee, and a weekend chicken friend. The girls give me such joy though. Every morning, I start my truck, I go out to the coop to 'check on the girls'. We share a good morning to you, and they squawk good morning back. I get my first egg of the day, and begrudgingly shuffle out to work. In the afternoon, when I am released from my Cube Farm prison, I can hear them yelling for me to let them out so they can do their circuit and re-discover the yard. (yes, they free range when I am home so we can listen for any problems.)

On the weekends, I clean their house, fill the feeders, and waterers. We have only 4 girls at this time; we got them as babies in July and have been hand raising them ever since. Our Cocker Spaniel and the Pomeranian think they are responsible to keep in line. Many times the dogs help herd the girls back into the coop. The hens come when I call them by name, and are treated to blueberries (from our yard), and in turn, they have been treating us to 3 eggs every day. (and no, we haven't added any extra light to extend the light during the day).

who knew how much fun these girls could be? Many a day, during the warmer months, I have come home, dropped my crud in the garage, grabbed a beer, and sat playing with the hens. What a great de-stresser!!!!

Our girls were all named by DH...
BPR - 2nd Breakfast
2 BO - Nugget and Kernel McNugget
Americanna - Houdini

 

[LakeMurrySC]

I fall into this club... I'm out the door at dawn, and before I jump in the truck for the day I walk over and check on them. I say hello, give them some treats, check feeders and waters and then off to work I go. With the short days here and me working till 6 to 8 at night M-F, I only get to see them on the perches when I come home. Should I get out of the concrete jungle in time to make it home with some daylight I let them out to run around with me in the yard. I have a pale of non-salted sunflower seeds that I carry to a bench to watch themand , you'd would think it was gold in that pale the way they act. On the weekends I hang out in the back yard with them, and it is the best relaxation method I know of (except riding the motorcycle). During the summer months its on though! Its great to come home and let them out, watch them run around like they are about to fall over. I love my job/career but, I also love these crazy chickens! I don't think you would have ever heard me stay that a year ago

 

[scooter147]

I'm in this club as well. I hate this time of year too because I head to work in the dark and come home in the dark. So I only get to see my flock on the ground on the weekend, other than that all I see are fluffy butts

on their roosts as they all face the wall.

I actually built a small patio next to my run so in warmer weather I can sit out with a cold drink and just watch my flock. It's the best relaxation I know of. When I'm out with the hens not much else crosses my mind. The boob tube or a good book isn't a diversion for me, my mind can quickly wonder on to more serious things. But for whatever reason when I'm out with the hens my mind never seems to do that.

I was raised on a hobby farm (animals and crops raised for personal use) and the chickens/ducks and occasional geese were always my responsibility. I never had to be told to collect the eggs, feed or water them etc. I just really enjoyed doing. On the other hand my brother and sister had to be forced almost at gun point to take care of the pigs and rabbits. My brother had the pigs my sister the rabbits.

It's something I have really enjoyed for 40+ years and hope to be able to do it for another 40. I tell people I hope I am one of those 95 year old men who can still get around well and have sound mind and if I am I'll have a few hens.

I work in a metopolitian area and my co-workers love my chicken stories. Occasionally someone will ask, Why do you have chickens? My answer: If you have to ask you wouldn't understand. Honestly that's the best way I know how to answer it. I don't understand why people have cats in the house. They jump on the counters and table in which we prepare food and poop in the house. I don't ask why they do I just accpet they do for their reasons.

 

[Pele]

I too, am a 'weekend warrior'

I grew up on a farm in South Dakota for many years, then was turned into an urban animal by my family moving to Washington DC (what an adjustment!)

You can take the girl out of the farm, but never the farm outta the girl. I daydream of the time when I can get a ranch-style property, and start breeding my own lines of chickens, turkeys, and alpacas.

For now though, I am 'renting' space off of a friend's property to grow my turkeys on, and I settle for having a small back-yard flock of 5 laying hens.

It is very hard having to come home just to close the girls up for the night, and seeing them briefly in the morning while I shiver and re-fill their water, then bustle inside to get ready for work.

*sigh*

 

[BooBear]

I work full time too.
Supporting 2 old humans (parents), 32 chickens (gee how did they multiply so fast?), 2 goats (ubber cute), and 1 yard cat.

I love the critters as caring for them makes me feel relaxed and destressed from the day to day grind. I hate the time change and shorter days cus by the time I get home it is dark and all the critters are to bed except the goats and cat. The goats kinda get up for lots of snacking at night. (party animals) The cat likes to hunt at night.
Anyway, I have some young pullets that I am trying to teach to roost on the roost bars versus sleeping in the nest boxes so I do like to make sure they are tucked to roost. I also talk to everyone while checking on them, their feed, and water. Roost time is the only time I can sneak a few pets in on Lester cus he can't see me coming..hehehehee.

I do like to set time aside on the weekends to watch them play in the yard and interact with them. I miss the longer days.

 

[cmom]

I did work and raise my birds too but a couple of years ago I retired and now I wonder how I went to work and worked the farm too. I worked overnight so I had to do my chores in the mornings when I got home from work.

 

[shgreen1]

I'm about to join the club. I'm a college professor, so I have most of the summer off or at least more free than during the school year. I'm planning on building a coop this spring and getting 6 chicks. I have been concerned about the time commitment during the week while I'm at work, but after reading this site it is looking more doable. I plan on trying to do all my daily chicken chores in the morning before work and looking in on them when I get home, usually around 6:00. I'm planning an automatic chicken door for days I get home late and the run will be attached and predator proof.

Do any of you have issues with "disturbing" the chickens when you get home from work if they are already in the coop? Do the go right to sleep when it gets dark and will I be waking them up if I go out to check on them or give them some treats or scratch?