What to you do when on vacation?

[Cocotte]

I was just wondering what you do with your chickens when you go out of town for a few days? I'm hoping to get some chicks at the end of March, and we've got a camping trip booked for the first week of June. So they'll be about 9 weeks old or so by then. Would they be ok if I made sure they had plenty of feed and water? I could probably have someone come and check in on them too. I'm guessing they won't be living outside by then, probably in my laundry room or possibly the garage if they'd be warm enough. What do you think?

 

[trilyn]

You might want to err on the side of caution, and have someone check on them. At about 3 mos. I'm sure they'll probably be in your garage, if not a coop, unless your laundry room is in your garage! They're gonna be bigger and a whole lot smellier and dustier at that age and they're gonna need room!!

 

[JimWWhite]

We have a friend who comes over early in the morning to let them out of the coop and feed/water them when we go out of town. She's already in the area because she stables two horses at a farm behind us. Then in the evening right at dark she'll come back by and locks the Gals up after collecting the eggs. I've tried to pay her but she just wants the eggs. We have 19 Gold Comets and we average 17 or 18 eggs each day so she makes out, she says. I think she gives some to people who need them at her church too. I've offered to do the same for her but she's not called in my chit yet.

 

[Uzuri]

I've only left home once since getting chickens, and I left them in my garage, in cages, for the cat sitter. Mine were of laying age, though, which changes everything Sometimes you can get away with fewer visits with younger fowl, but you sure don't want to come home to egg-eaters.

I've also "chicken-sat" for a friend, and she left hers in their tractor (I don't know how she's never had trouble with coons!) and I just came once a day and fed and watered and picked eggs.

 

[Cocotte]

What age do you think the would be ok outside in the coop? By June it should be getting pretty warm, and definitely not cool at night anymore. If they were old enough to be out in the coop could I leave the little door open while I'm gone so that they could go in and out of the coop/into the run whenever they want, or do they need to be locked into the coop at night? I don't think we have any preditors here in town to worry about, especially if they stayed in their run. I'd just hate to think of them being locked in the coop the whole time we're gone if I couldn't get someone to let them in and out every day.

 

[Backyard_Chicken_rancher]

Quote:
First off allow me to say

We are glad you joined us. Congrats on the

we would all love to see pics of them.

The chicks can go out into the coop is once they are fully feathered and at 3 months they should be fully feathered or close to it.
Leaving the door open would be fine for them IF the coop is enclosed like a tractor or 3 sides are covered with hardware cloth or tin buried underground.

You live in the city you have preditors some folks don't think about but wechicken owners do you have cat's, dog's, racoon's,weasles, rats, Birds and snakes just to name a few so don't ever think you don't have any preditors, a chicken owner has always think about things such as this and the worse preditor of all (and this is the scary one) is the neighbor who is angry at you.

As long as you have an enclosed coop and run with plenty of food and water they won't even know your gone.

Have fun on your trip and good luck being a flock owner

 

[Cocotte]

First off allow me to say

We are glad you joined us. Congrats on the

we would all love to see pics of them.

Thank you! I don't actually have my chicks yet, I'm hoping to have them at the end of the month, just need my hubby to build me a tractor..

The chicks can go out into the coop is once they are fully feathered and at 3 months they should be fully feathered or close to it.
Leaving the door open would be fine for them IF the coop is enclosed like a tractor or 3 sides are covered with hardware cloth or tin buried underground.

I'm planning for a tractor, either one of those A frame Ark types or the ones at gardeneggs.com

You live in the city you have preditors some folks don't think about but wechicken owners do you have cat's, dog's, racoon's,weasles, rats, Birds and snakes just to name a few so don't ever think you don't have any preditors, a chicken owner has always think about things such as this and the worse preditor of all (and this is the scary one) is the neighbor who is angry at you.

I'm a a fairly small town, and we do get some wildlife in the yard, mostly rabbits, but we have seen the occasional snake. I think there are raccoons by the river, but hopefully they never make it this far into town and especially into my yard!!

As long as you have an enclosed coop and run with plenty of food and water they won't even know your gone.

If they were locked in the coop for a few days and not let out into the run would they be ok? I guess maybe that's not much different than being in a brooder, but it just seems a bit mean.​

 

[fiberart57]

Just having chickens can attract predators into a yard they've not gone into before, so if you know that you have racoons nearby, assume they will eventually find out that you have chickens and will want dinner. Build your pen accordingly, there are a lot of suggestions on the Coops thread.

I have a pet sitter who I pay a small amount to check on them when I'm gone. Additionally, my neighbors let them in and out but they also spoil the girls and I've come home to scratch a half inch thick on the ground and pasty butts, so we'll have to talk to "Granpa Dan" about spoiling the girls . . .

Chickens can spend a few days confined to small areas but too much confinement can cause infighting and cannibalism.

It's tough, I know. I almost sold my girls simply because of the pet care issue when I wanted to leave for a while. I decided to do the best for them that I can and take chances. I've had mine outside now for seven months and haven't seen a 'coon even though I'm less than 100 yds from the banks of the Colorado River, but I have a dog and she runs around the yard. I've heard that even having a dog in the yard creates a smell that keeps coons away. I'm not planning to take chances though. They have a secure house and will have a pet sitter when I go.

I found mine, a former chicken-raising 4-H girl (now a young woman) at my vet's office.

Mary

 

[blueskylen]

I also have a good neighbor who will come down daily and let them out in the morning and close them up at night - we keep him well supplied with eggs and bring him home goodies from the few trips that we make.

 

[fasbendera]

My neighbor locked them up at night & my brother in-law let them out in the morning. We raise the meat birds for a group of people and we have processing days so the babysitting was on a volunteer basis. They of course got to keep any eggs and I dropped off a few processed chickens for the neighbor since they aren't in on the meat birds.