How Quickly Does Albendazole Work?

[melly264]

Hi, we are going away this weekend and wondered what the general feeling is about holiday plans.

We don't think there is any point in moving the hens to a friends for just 2 nights (more upset than is worth for them)

Which leaves us with - trying to find someone who gets up a 5o/c who could come and let the girls out by 6am

Or leaving the door open, making sure the run skirt is weighed down with plenty of bricks/slabs etc and having someone pop in to check for eggs, top up food etc.

 

I have a feeling that the latter would be fine, but am feeling a bit apprehensive. I know no-one would be able to promise that nothing would happen, but just want to know what is the 'done thing'

 

Ta

[..lay a little egg for me]

We're also planning to go away at the weekend...same dilemma! However, our girls are used to having to stay in bed until 7 am so not quite such an early start needed for our neighbours. I was thinking that if they could get to us by 8 am then I would advise the neighbours to shut them up at night but if they were going to have a lie in, then the girls will have to sleep with the door open and just make sure the caged area is very secure. Since the whole thing is surrounded by electric fencing, I think is should be OK. Although I might say, "well if a fox gets them then that's our fault for allowing the door to be left open," it would be awful for the neighbours if a chook was killed on their watch!

[LJ's Chooks]

we never close our door at night.... but do have a worry with pecking and feather tugging. They are all fitted with BB's but still managing to tug the odd feather. We're away in a few weeks and they will be confined to their cube run... Oh i hope they wont go mad in there... normally we let them into their big run every day. Our neighbours are great and are happy to feed them and collect eggs, but not sure they want the responsibility of letting them into their big run and getting them back in before dusk.

 

Fingers crossed ... one and all.

[ChickNic]

Ours spend every holiday with the door open, and we go away at the weekend pretty regularly too. I would def put bricks/heavy stones/flowerpots around the run skirt, and that will keep out the foxes. Also, a full glug and grub should last a few days, so if you're going on Fri eve and back on Sun you shouldn't need anyone popping in...unless they want the eggs! I would find it a bit much to ask our neighbours to come around twice a day.

 

Our run is now on a permanent site with logging around the edge, so fox tunnelling would be difficult. If yours is on grass I would just make sure it is fully weighed down - as we did when ours used to be on grass.

 

N

[..lay a little egg for me]

Unfortunately (or fortunately depending how you look at it!) we have to ask our neighbours to come twice a day as we also have 2 cats, 1 horse and lots of fish to feed as well as the chooks

Here's hoping the girls provide lots of eggs as a reward. I was going to get the neighbours to let the girls out into the area fenced off with electric netting during the day as we do this and although I work from home, they are unsupervised for several hours at a time. I was going to ask the neighbours to come round after dusk to shut them in, but now am wondering whether they should entice them in with treats a bit earlier than that...

[Egluntyne]

I never closed the Eglu doors when the hens were still in them and they were fine. I did weigh the runs down well with boulders, and had sturdy covers on the run so that a fox couldn't easliy swipe at the hens from the top.

 

When I went away for week ends I gave them plenty of extra water and food, and they were fine.

 

I always came back to nest boxes positively brimming with eggs because they had only eaten pellets and had not free ranged.

[Hen Watch]

My lot sleep in a closed eglu except for when I'm on holiday and I leave the door open the whole time. They are absolutely fine.

 

My neighbour pops in once a day to collect eggs, top up water/feed (if ness) and that's it.

 

Fill the grub feeder to the brim and it will last a few days (or even better I've got 2 sets of glugs and grub containers). Poke the hosepipe through the run bars into the glug. If there's still enough food your hen sitter will just be able to top up the water without having to worry about opening the run and possible escapees.....

[*mummy_hen*]

Could you not ask a neighbour to open them as soon as they possibly can and shut the door on them at night once they have taken themselves in?

 

I personally wouldn't feel comfortable leaving the door open but that's just me - i know a lot of people do though!

[cluckbok]

I agree with mummy hen, I would be worried about leaving the door open in case of foxes or anything that may upset them. I think I would also be a bit worried whether they would get up too early and make a bit of noise! I know it's a worry when you go away, I'm already worrying about going for 1 night next weekend! I hate leaving our girlies!

[Helen&Lee]

I now leave the cube door open all the time, when we are away one of my neighbours checks up on them after she has walked her dogs early morning and then normally pops in at night too!

I leave the two galvanised bins by the run , one with pellets, one with corn/raisins/grapes etc. and they enjoy throwing a handful of treats in for them.

Great neighbours.

 

Helen

[chickygirl]

We're not evening planning to go away but I'm worrying about getting back late one night and leaving the door open until then! (They will be safely in the run before we go out but I don't think they will have gone to bed before we set off.) So I can understand everybody's angst!

[melly264]

gosh its a tricky one isn't it!!

 

I am glad I am not the only one being a bit soppy about the girls! We haven't had ours long, and yet I would be devestated if any thing was to happen.

 

Thanks for the replies, we'll give it some thought.........and I'll let you know after the weekend how it all went!

[Olly]

I leave the Cube door open all night - I know opinions vary on this, and it's very much a personal choice, but I decided quite a while ago that it was the best solution for me. I'm away a lot, and it is easier to leave it open than to keep chopping and changing. My hens have been fine, and a full Grub and spare peanut feeder easily hold enough for my four for two days.

 

Now they are drinking from the Superglug, I don't worry so much about water running out - but it's easy to top up with one of those cheap plastic indoor watering cans, I just poke the spout through the bars.

 

I'd be more worried about a neighbour forgetting to shut them away or finding it hard to get them back in the run. I reckon they'll be fine for two or three days, and they will appreciate free-ranging when you're back.

[cathybc]

I leave the eglu door open all the time now, I started doing it about a month after I got them and all has been Ok so far. The longest I have left them is one night, I think the max I would leave them is 2

[Mrs Webmuppet]

That reminds me I must get the neighbours who are going to look after my girls while I am away ( for a fortnight!) to attend for training - I have already lent them my 'Keeping Pet Chickens' book to swot up. I know they are quite excited about chook minding .........

[Mutrix Farmers]

We've been away overnight twice now, just left the eglu door open and left plenty of food and water. I made a huge bowl of pellet porridge for day 1 so there was more dry food left for the following day. We peg the run down with huge tent pegs so nothing can move it (Omlet sell run pegs for this purpose)

 

Our only concern was eggs! We were a bit worried that eggs would get crushed or kicked, then they would eat them and get taste for fresh egg. We left before they were able to perform so we came back to 6 eggs in the nest box!

 

We're away for 6 nights in August. OH is talking about coming back home every other day just to check on things and take out eggs (we'll only be 30 miles away) but the Lake District in October will force us to ask someone to come in. We just don't know who!!!!

[Jules.]

Mrs Webmuppet your post made me

Neighbour training