Would you leave chickens alone for 3 days?

[ehoneybee]

If they are in a coop with a run that is predator proof? My neighbor can walk over once a day in the evening and collecting eggs.

 

[sourland]

As long as your neighbor can make sure that they have feed and water, okay.

 

[pintail_drake2004]

I have an automatic waterer and feeder that will suffice for a week or so. When I have to leave, I ask someone to check in at least once every other day to collect eggs and check food and water. But I don't have any neighbors, so its not like I could have someone walk over easily.

 

[ehoneybee]

I have an automatic waterer and feeder that will suffice for a week or so. When I have to leave, I ask someone to check in at least once every other day to collect eggs and check food and water. But I don't have any neighbors, so its not like I could have someone walk over easily.

So for 3 days and 4 chickens you think a full container (5 quarts) of water and food would be enough? I mean, neighbor had no issue doing more but I've been leaning on her a lot for chicken sittinf and wanted to make it easier this time.

 

[Mrs. K]

Give her all the eggs she collects!

I have done it for a couple of days, I do like some one to check every so often, in case something does not work. I never leave feed available 24/7 except for these situations.

 

[pintail_drake2004]

If you have paid attention to your chickens and know how much they consume in a day/week/month and you have an automatic waterer and feeder and know how long it takes them to finish it, then yes. My waterer holds 7 days of water (in cool weather) 4 days in warmer weather. My feeder holds 10-14 days of feed.

 

[ehoneybee]

If you have paid attention to your chickens and know how much they consume in a day/week/month and you have an automatic waterer and feeder and know how long it takes them to finish it, then yes. My waterer holds 7 days of water (in cool weather) 4 days in warmer weather. My feeder holds 10-14 days of feed.

I never fill up either since we're here so I will do that and see how much they eat. I assume to just leave more than they'd need but good experiment.

 

[rosemarythyme]

If you have paid attention to your chickens and know how much they consume in a day/week/month and you have an automatic waterer and feeder and know how long it takes them to finish it, then yes. My waterer holds 7 days of water (in cool weather) 4 days in warmer weather. My feeder holds 10-14 days of feed.

Exactly this. We went away for 4 days last year and we'd calculated that the waterer would be good for at least 7 days in the summer and the feeder 5 days.

Our neighbor came in the morning to open the coop (no auto door) and at night to close the coop and pick up eggs. When we returned everything was just as we left it, except there was about a day's worth of food left and the waterer was about half full.

 

[ehoneybee]

So, we put hardware cloth around the perimeter of the coop that extends <6" out on the ground (husband said he read this was an adequate length) so we don't have to bother the neighbor to close the door to the roost each night. Plus, they roost in the run sometimes and seem so exposed! They should be safe (no evidence of predators at night in the 6 months we've had them) but I'm still worried. Neighbor does not have chickens and I can't ask her to physically put them in the roost at night. I put them in tonight and shut the door. Door is not predator proof, whch is another reason we out the hardware cloth around the coop. We have a spring hook we plan to install when we return.

 

[rosemarythyme]

So, we put hardware cloth around the perimeter of the coop that extends <6" out on the ground (husband said he read this was an adequate length) so we don't have to bother the neighbor to close the door to the roost each night.

From my own experience I've found a rat tunnel that was 10" long under the apron, so 6" to me is not enough. That said, I don't know how much time you have before you're away, so if you really don't have time to make further changes you'll have to hope for the best for the time being and consider making changes later on.