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Foot-tapper506

hens home alone

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How long should I leave my girls alone - would Friday night to Sunday night be too long as the pop hole would have to be left open although coop door would be closed? I live on the outskirts of a village and am getting a 'Foxwatch' soon. Does anyone else go away weekends and leave their hens? I am hoping someone in the Bletchley area can help by looking after my hens when I go away on hols. I am happy to do the same for someone else???

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Hi from Northamptonshire!

 

I work away during part of each week so cant help with holiday cover sadly as weekends are spent coping with my multitude of chickens :lol:

 

friday - Sunday would be ok, leave plenty of food and water obviously, if someone could collect the eggs and just give the chooks the once over it would be great but thats not always possible

 

Your run will need to be fox proof though, dont rely on anything else to keep the chickens safe if you are not aorund

 

A foxwatch is useful as an addition though :D

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Hi - I am still in Northants but moving to Newton Longville at Easter. My neighbour used to shut them in if I was out overnight, but I guess I will just have to leave them on their own at weekends and hope mr foxy doesn't get at them. Will keep looking for a chicken sitter for hols though. They have been OK so far (5 months) during the day whilst I'm at work with fruit netting over the 10' x 10' run. New garden is much smaller and a funny shape so a run is almost out of the question. They will be confined to the coop a lot more, but they will be able to FR though when I am home :D your multitude must take up a lot of time!

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I have left mine Friday - Sunday with no ill-effects, the main thing is water - if it's hot, you might want to leave a second source, and make sure they can't tip it over or spill it. An ice-cream carton is ok as a back-up, for example, but put a couple of big stones in so it can't be kicked over by an excited chicken!

 

They may be a bit bored, but they won't come to any harm as long as they have enough to eat and drink and they are safe from predators, you could always chuck a cabbage in to give them something to keep them busy.

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I have left my girlies untended several times for 2 or 3 nights when we go camping. I have 2 glugs and grubs that I top up the day I leave - there is still plenty left when we return.

 

If I am away for longer then I ask someone to check on them in exchange for the eggs the girlies will have laid. I have a few people in the village that I can ask - their children love to come and feed the hens :D

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Friday to Sunday is fine just leave plenty of water and food. I wouldn't leave them for any longer but I have left mine for that long and they were fine. Don't leave them if you have newly integrated chickens though as you always need to keep an eye on them when they are new.

 

GNR Hazel, Ranger, Audi, Porsche, Cracker, RIP Chestnut

(Bluebelle) Noodle

 

(purple eglu) x1

(cube pink) x1

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They are confined during the day when I am at work in a small run, but locked in their coop at night. They only wander the garden when I am in it as well. I am hoping to build (with my partner's help!) a WIR so they can have more freedom every day. Thanks to igobarefoot for offer of help - that would be great if you could pop in every couple of days when I am on hols. I am quite happy to do the same for you.

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