Who watches the chickens when you go on vacation???

[Rufflemyfeathers]

I got big enough waterers and feeder to leave mine for one day and one over niter..but not for vacation..already told my kids in the north country they have to fly down to see me this year and there after probaly..

I don't trust my neighbors around my chickens..not my neighbors

 

[DDRanch]

I now use a very trusted neighbor. I take care of her goats when she is gone and she takes care of my girls. I could leave my girls for a day or two without contact, but I don't. I think the eggs need to be collected daily and the hens need someone to double check on them daily. I have to say though that it took me awhile to be perfectly comfortable leaving them with someone other than ME. My neighbor is just as goofy about her goats and I am about my chickens, so it is a good match.

Be sure and train your caretakers. Don't assume they know anything about chickens....unless of course they have some.

P.S. The most valuable thing I have ever done was to train my chickens to come when they are called. I started it when they were chicks, several times a day, calling and then giving them treats. Even before they were big enough to come out of their pen, I would repeat this over and over, always giving them a treat.

I mention this because, a couple of my hens made a run for it, out of the pen and past my caretaker once when I was gone. I trained my caretaker how to get them back in the pen, and because the chickens were so conditioned, it was easy for her to corral the rogues and put them back in. Otherwise, she would have had to stay with them until dark and they decided to go in on their own.

Good luck and welcome.

 

[curliet]

We have the big waterer and my feeder is one that DH made from a 5 gallon bucket. We've left ours for up to 3-4 days and not had any problems (found lots of eggs when we returned) but when we went deer hunting for a full week we had DS come over to check on things, top off the feed bucket and refill the water and collect eggs. Our outside run is secure (yes, I know, we've been lucky and there might come a day that will show us it's not as secure as we think) so we leave the pop door open and they come in and out as they please. But that's during warm weather, wouldn't leave it open in the real cold.

 

[EllyMae]

Vacations? Do people still take those things??? Since starting the farm, we haven't been on a "vacation". Honestly, I love being at home and don't have a desire to travel much anymore since we moved to our new place.
I guess if I HAD to go somewhere overnight, I would have to use my jumbo feeders and waterers and pray for the best.

 

[lescostes]

i'm going away on a friday morning and will return saturday night. our chickens are free-range. we don't have any neighbors near us that can take care of the birds. can i leave them in the coop friday and sat until Sunday morning or is that just horrible for them (making sure there is plenty of food and water of course)?

 

[Kelly G]

I think they'd be fine with plenty of food & water. When we lived up north there were many days our chickens COULDN'T come out.

 

[lescostes]

thanks. my husband is telling me they will be fine, but I'm a worried mom and just want to make sure they'd be ok.

 

[HiDelight]

my husband works for himself at home and while I would like to spend all my days off in my yard and house ..he HAS to get away or go crazy from all the work waiting for him all the time! ..and with my folks getting older and living so far away ..we combine our need for a get away with going to see them ...often ....So I hire a wonderful kid to come stay in the house ..I trust him completely to watch our dogs, fish, parrots, chickens and garden

I supply him with a full fridg (he loves to cook so I leave him all kinds of things to work with in the kitchen) ..a place to hang out and a list of light feeding walking chores for a set fee of $20/day. (he also takes us to and from the airport! I love this guy) ..and then because he works for my husband and is not making his salary while we are away ..I post a list optional jobs for cash (like washing windows, detailing my car, cutting the grass, cleaning the garage ect) with the cash value posted next to the job..he can do all the stuff or none of it ..no judgement (and check it off as he finishes) ..if he wants to just hang out and watch movies with the dogs he can ...he knows that.. but needs money so usually he does everything on the list! .. he also gets a cash or gift from the trip bonus if everyone is healthy happy, clean and of course alive!

money talks with kids

he does a great job!!!

so my resolve is a live in while I am gone the house is occupied I am not at all weaithy have no real "valuables" to protect ...but my animals and garden mean the world to me and I feel MUCH safer leaving someone there who will care for them

I also have a back up neighbor with a 3 year old who LOVES to come help out so if my guy gets tied up doing something ...he can call her and she will come take care of things

 

[lescostes]

HiDelight - you are very lucky. we live in rural france and don't have many near neighbors. thus nobody to stay at the house or anyone to come over just to open and shut the door.

 

[HiDelight]

ohhhh if I lived in rural France I am not sure my husband would ever get me to leave home how wonderful!!!!