Chickens 2023/2024

[NHCraigT]

Basic beginner question, for those of you with chickens, how do you go on vacation for a week or more? You just can't leave them unattended can you?

When we are away, we have a neighbor friend (who has her own chickens), who comes by to; check on them, add feed, check for eggs, switch-out the water containe, etc. etc.

Our chickens have a large, secure run area, with hardware cloth and a roof over it. It is attached to their coop. So they are fine and don't need to be let out and free ranged by our friend (we do let them out when we are around).

 

[xtry51]

You can 100% leave them unattended in a run. Get a 50lb feed hopper and at least two 5 gallon waterers. How many chickens?

 

[Admin]

You can 100% leave them unattended in a run. Get a 50lb feed hopper and at least two 5 gallon waterers. How many chickens?

That is going to be a mess of eggs in that coop.

 

[71montess]

That is going to be a mess of eggs in that coop.

Atleast 1 a day per bird.

 

[xtry51]

That is going to be a mess of eggs in that coop.

True, but we just feed the old ones to the pups and pigs

 

[lancecolonel]

Basic beginner question, for those of you with chickens, how do you go on vacation for a week or more? You just can't leave them unattended can you?

I get my neighbors kids to distribute feed and switch out waterers if we go away. They keep whatever eggs they collect and are happy to make twenty bucks for 5 minutes a day worth of work.

 

[Matt_SERE]

I get my neighbors kids to distribute feed and switch out waterers if we go away. They keep whatever eggs they collect and are happy to make twenty bucks for 5 minutes a day worth of work.

I used to feed fish, water gardens, collect mail, and later check pool chemicals as a kid when neighbors were on vacation. Anything for a buck when a buck actually had buying strength. Had access to houses and took pride in the owners being happy when they got home. Great memories, Thanks.

 

[NHCraigT]

View: https://twitter.com/AllBiteNoBark88/status/1799739979222090036?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1799739979222090036%7Ctwgr%5E0e1831bbc355229c04bfdda5b2efe4a9b7bc96b1%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.godlikeproductions.com%2Fforum1%2Fmessage5731864%2Fpg1

 

[MAD Geary]

We hatched a 7 more chicks a couple of weeks ago. The 8th egg didn’t fully develop. Hatching them never gets old!

 

[NHCraigT]

Our highest flock count was 20 hens and 3 roosters, that was like 3 or 4 years ago.

We've lost a number of hens over the past few years. Some to common chicken ailments, and some to old age. Fortunately, none were lost due to predators, thanks to a large number of perimeter alarms, cctv cams with audio, ready firearms, and constant alertness.

At the start of this year, we were down to 12, but In the past 2 months, we lost 4 (due to the same common ailments and old age, one we had almost 9 years), so we were left with 7 hens and 1 rooster, (with 5 hens currently laying).


Today, the wife (Cowgirlup), picked-up 6 more baby chicks and 2 baby guinea hens.

Operation Flock Rebuild - PHASE 1

Latest Pics (5 weeks from the last pic):

 

[Wickedcoolname]

I would love to raise chickens, but it's a rare night when we don't have raccoons or foxes or bobcats in the yard. Not to mention all the hawks and the occasional eagle.
I can barely keep a trash barrel on the deck without some critter mangling it.
My nearest neighbor built a beautiful coop that would have made Norm Abrams proud. It lasted a week before two bears destroyed it.

 

[Romokid]

We hatched a 7 more chicks a couple of weeks ago. The 8th egg didn’t fully develop. Hatching them never gets old!
View attachment 887577

Are those Silkies?? My wife got 10 fertilized Silkie eggs last fall and we stuck them under our broody Silkie hens. Of the 10, 2 didn't hatch and one did hatch but there was something wrong with it and didn't live too long. So out of the 7 there were 3 roosters which we kept 1 and rehomed the others. They are my wife's favorite.

 

[ChevyGuy91]

Are those Silkies?? My wife got 10 fertilized Silkie eggs last fall and we stuck them under our broody Silkie hens. Of the 10, 2 didn't hatch and one did hatch but there was something wrong with it and didn't live too long. So out of the 7 there were 3 roosters which we kept 1 and rehomed the others. They are my wife's favorite.

Silkies are a lot of fun and great moms, but man are they stupid. I think they try to die.