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

[gail61065]

hi i am new to chicken keeping i got four ex batts on 07/01/12 and they are lovely girls and very entertaining but i was just wondering what do you do when you want to go on holiday, who looks after your chickens?

[vickichicky]

I had 3 ExBattas as my first chickens... and it was this time of year 4 years ago (bit of a shock to the system for them! ...)

 

I am very lucky - my mum loves to come & stay at my house when I am away for more than 2 days. She looks after the cats & dog as well as my girls She hasn't animals in the flat she is in and so looks on it as animal therapy

Again very luckily (as we only have 2 neighbours - and they are both 500 yards away) one of my neighbours is also a chicken lover! So we look out for each others girls on the odd evenings & weekends. It's so lovely as we support each other and both being chicken keepers feel that the other would be more likey to notice anything wrong.

I hope you find a neighbour as good as mine to help with your girls

[majuka]

I'm lucky because my Dad has the girls when we go away. He has a big garden so I have a run and coop at his permanently which is very convenient. We just need to take the girls over with some food and bedding, turn the electric fence on and we are sorted!

[gail61065]

thanks for your replies, my parents are elderly and cannot have the chickens at there place but as they live close by say that they would come and check on the chickens and feed and water them , but this may only be every other day would this be ok or would i be better trying to find someone who could come in daily. thanks.

[Duncan08]

I too am very fortunate to have my mum and dad live with us along with my disabled brother, that means that they get to go away and I look after my brother and we get to go away and they look after the chickens and the dog.

 

My dad is cheif in charge when I am at work and he has a very soft spot for the girls, he often goes out for a chat and has his own secret stash of mealworms.

[Duncan08]

I suppose it depends on how long you are away for.

If you were away for a couple of weeks, really they would need a clean out at least once during that time, if it was in the winter you would need to make sure that the water wasn't frozen.

 

They should be fine every other day for food and water if you can just find someone to give them a bit of a clean out.

Also do you shut your girls up at night and let them out in the morning? We do, as we live near a nature reserve and often see foxes about but I know plenty of people on here that don't if you have a secure run you should be OK.

[Redwing]

I've had my chooks over 3 years and havent had a proper holiday in that time, mainly because I cant tear myself away from the chickens!

 

If I was to go away I'd get a 'professional' in to deal with things

[jackian]

I had my first holiday away from the girls at Christmas and New Year , It took 5 hours for the girls to be mentioned and that was by my OH who said i would be first.

My next door neighbour looked after ours with my daughter popping in when possible to let them out for a FR every so often.

I think every other day would be fine as long as ample food and pooped scooped as much as poss. but being locked in is the most important.

We went away for 10 days at Christmas and in future only 7 as I worried about them so much...

Did they really get it excited when I came back because it was me or because I had meal worms in my hand

[Eggasperated]

We haven't been away since we've had our chickens, but OH travels a lot for work and likes to spend his time off at home. However, we did have a friends ex-batts to stay when they went away. We already had a spare eglu and put up some additional electric fencing attached to the main fence with a barrier between the two lots of girls so there were no stand-offs through the fence. Worked out really well much to our surprise - we did think there may have been issues as they could obviously hear one another but there were no problems.

Perhaps as part of the ever expanding chicken community you might find someone willing to have your girls to stay

[Duncan08]

Have a look at the board index under "Chicken Sitters", there is a list of people offering a service.

Some either come to your house and check on them at home, others board them at their premises.

 

Also check and see if you can find any local breeders, I found a new breeder about 10 minutes away from me that offers a chicken sitting service. I am on the Wirral, whereabouts are you, maybe someone else on the forum will know of someone.

[mollyripkim]

Mine go back to their breeder for holidays, she charges £1 per chicken per night. I feel happier with them going back, it doesn't seem to stress them out and she has a lovely big pen, so I feel I have done my best for them. They have been three times since I have had them and always come back healthy, happy and straight back into the routine here.

[SMS6]

If we're away for more than one night mine go and stay at the nearby Chicken Hotel - it never seems to bother them, they don't even stop laying.

 

They went this weekend just gone, we were only going away for one night but it was so cold and I was worried about their water freezing so we took them for 2 nights there. They muttered at us like mad when we lifted them from their beds but that's all. They were snoring in teh back seat of the car by the time we dropped them off

[heth1986]

Where do you live out of interest? Someone may be able to recommend a 'chicken hotel' nearby, the lady near me also does home visits if you'd rather keep them at home.

 

I tend to pay the little lad over the road from me 'pocket money' and he gladly comes over before and after school to tend to the girls and takes the eggs home to his mum as a thankyou.

 

If I'm just away for the night I tend to leave mine out in their run (weather depending) although you obviously have to consider fox issues if you're considering this.

 

There's lots of options, espescially if you have good neighbours that are willing to lend a hand in exchange for some eggs!

[Luvachicken]

I have left mine to look after themselves for a weekend, usually just the friday and saturday night, with lots of treats and nibbles to keep them busy.

If we go on a proper holiday my mum and dad come to stay and look after all the animals for me. They love it. My parents I mean

If there was a neighbour I could trust I would ask them maybe, and I know there are chickens near me because I've heard them but they are streets away rather than direct neighbours.

[coco]

We haven't had a holiday since I've had hens but on the odd weekend away Oh and I have managed my youngest son has kept an eye on them. If I was going away for longer I would probably get a petsitter as I cvouldn't trust my teenage lads with 25 chickens, two dogs, two cats and numerous fish. I think not going away is probably easier.

[gail61065]

thanks everyone for your replies i will look into thanks.

[duchess]

Where do you live? There may be a chicken sitter in the area?

[Luvachicken]

If you live near Fleet we could look after each others

[sandyhas3chucks]

I've had my chooks over 3 years and havent had a proper holiday in that time, mainly because I cant tear myself away from the chickens!

 

If I was to go away I'd get a 'professional' in to deal with things

same here..

had 2 nights away once, but you know what ? I just love spending time with my girls and luckily just do not want to go away anymore.

[jackie45]

Our girls go back to their breeder for their holidays. As we usually go away for 3-4 weeks I could not rely on my next door neighbour and I would only worry.If we are away for a few days she will look after them as she is fond of them .Going to the breeder is expensive but worthwhile because they know about chicken health and can get the vet in, whereas my neighbour wouldn't know what to do.

Jackie

[gongladosh]

We have a neighbour that's happy to look after them and we also have a pet sitter that we've trained to look after hens!

[Forge Cottage]

If we go away for 1-3 days we ask neighbours to look after them and let them keep the eggs. They say they really enjoy doing it and bring the kids.

 

If we go away for longer, we take them to the Chicken B&B in Hook. Very reasonable rates and in safe hands!

[chickencam]

We use a pet care service, they come in once a day, to feed and water the chickens and cats and in the summer they will also water the greenhouse. It only costs me £15 per normal day, double for bank holidays, I was previously paying £11 per day just to put my cats into a cattery, so it is great value and I also know that the house is being watched daily too.

[lillybettybabs]

I have a vet nurse that has cared for Ruby and she knows here voice (Ruby is a blind rabbit)

She comes in three times a day (as Ruby has to have her eye drops). checks on all the animals.

[sparkysmum]

I have a fab friend & her lovely hubby who house sit for us if we have to go away. She's also a vet asst. so the pets are all in good hands. Couldn't go anywhere without checking with her first