4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Yolky]

Morning all.

 

I am going to order an eglu but I have a slight dilemma. They are next delivering in my area on the 11th of July. Now I would really love to get them on that date (I am so excited now I am not sure if I can wait even that long) but we will be on holiday for a week about 3 or so weeks later. Now I do have someone who will come in once a day to feed my cats and so would do that once a day for the chickens too but she wouldn't be able to open the door in the morning or pop them to bed at night (I would ask her to come in the middle of the day to make sure that their food was topped up.

 

If I do this then I would have to leave the eglu door open and I am a bit worried about annoying the neighbours with them waking up super early. Also if I did this I would want to go back to closing the doors at night when I got back from my holiday, would a chicken forget it once had the door open?

 

I am not sure what to do, the wait will be 4 weeks no matter what but if I wait till after my holiday it would be at least an 8 week wait

[Egluntyne]

Is there a reliable teenager who would see to them to you for pocket money?

 

I always leave my Eglu/Cube doors open and they get themselves up in the morning.

 

There is always a slight risk attached to this re the fox, and you have to take a view on that based on the activity in your area.

 

It is easy enough to replenish their water (watering can through the bars), but anyone not used to the chickens might be a bit nervous about filling the grubs which is not so easy to do without opening the run door, unless they do it at night when they are roosting.

 

The chickens probably would complain about being shut in when you return from your hol.

[Jules.]

What about getting your eglu before you go on holiday, & then getting your chickens after it?

[quickcluck]

Hi there, I completely understand your dilemma as am having the same myself!!! In the end I opted for after my hols so mine is coming on the 29th July complete with chicks!!!

 

I thought as a new mum I would rest better if I did it all afterwards, but i've got future chicken sitters ready! I am going to a hen party tomorrow though to ask lots of questions and to see it all up and running. Do you have any in your area you could attend??

 

Hope it all goes well for you....

[Yolky]

There are no teens in our street (only my daughter who will be away with me)

 

I forgot to say one thing was that getting them in July before the kids break up from school means that they would have a couple of weeks to settle in before they had 2 young boys at home all day with them and running round the garden like boys do. In August they will all be home all the time and I was a bit worried about them settling in when the boys are playing in the garden.

[peepie]

Dont' worry about small boys - we've had ours 2 weeks and 2 days and already you can see who's boss!!

 

[Yolky]

What a great picture.

[Hen Watch]

Great picture Peepie.

 

My chooks routine is eglu door shut at night and I open it at 7am. When I go on holiday I leave the eglu door open all the time.

 

I went away May half term and with the light mornings being quite early, my sister (who is my next door neighbour) said she did hear my chooks making a bit of a racket sometimes in the mornings. You only need someone to pop in once a day, so your cat sitter might do it. My sister, just popped in once a day, to water, check feed, collect eggs. The hosepipe is poked through the bars for water top up (as her toddler likes to do this) and I have 2 grub containers which when they are both full to the brim with pellets can last my 4 chooks about 4 days.

 

The chickens probably would complain about being shut in when you return from your hol.

 

Mine went back to the "being shut in" routine without any problem after this last holiday, plus the 3 week long breaks last year.

[Lapinou]

We've had exactly the same dilemma - as it was, they are delivering the eglu and chickens a full month before we go away and I have a friend who I had already lined up to water my veg and is now very excited to hear she'll be looking for eggs too

 

She's going to fill up the food and water once or twice if necessary and keep our first egg if it hasn't already arrived when we go away. We're going to leave the eglu door open and hope that the chickens don't mind having the door shut again once we get back - DH gets up really early for work anyway so it shouldn't be too much of a problem.