Roselady Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Hello again Apologies again for the long post but I'm in a dilemma. We are going on holiday next month for 2 weeks and I don't know what to do about the girls. My parents said we could take them there but I feel it will be a lot of work for them keep lugging the Go and run around the garden etc. I'm also really concerned that they'll get very stressed in a new environment and become ill. Our gardens has alot of shrubs and trees, but my parents is quite open. We currently keep them on the lawn in our garden and they FR at every opportunity we can give them. We move the run around every few days. We plan to put them on the decking next to the shed come winter and fill the run with aubiose or easibed. I was thinking that maybe we could do this while we're away for the fortnight and then our lovely neighbours could just feed and water them and empty the poo tray. Does this seem a good idea? Any thoughts would be welcome. Thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
good_egg Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 our girls are in a static run and I have just (saturday) changed it from hardwood chips to easibed..... Loving the easibed (but not sure I have it deep enough) but I am finding that I am poo picking it more often than the hardwood - I'm quite happy about this as I know it is cleaner, but not sure what it would be like after 2 weeks - the poo seems to sit on the top more than with the bark - sure somebody else will answer. Also you will need to cover the run - we have a cube with the clear plastic cover over one side and top of the run and this seems to work well but wouldn't reckon it would last for 2 weeks if your weather is anything like ours! If your neighbours are coming in to feed could they move run a couple of times as well so you wouldn't have to change anything and then can see what suits you when you are at home? Have a nice holiday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweety Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 How many girls have you got, and how big is their run? Presumably they will not be free ranging whilst you are away, so I would say that a lot depends on the size of your run if you decide to put them on the decking and use Easibed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 If I were you, I would put the run on the decking and get the neighbours to pop in. Sounds like much less hard work. If you put a deep layer of bedding down and cover the run, the poo won't be that bad over a fortnight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenthelibrarian Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Another vote here for the chooks staying put at home! Ours are on deep woodchip, with raincovers, photo below showing our lovely roof made of corrugated plastic stuff. They constantly shift the chip about and the poo magically vanishes into it. We do a thorough clean, with sanitising powder raked in, about once a week [weather permitting] and they are fine. Your neighbours need to be aware that they might dig quite deep holes, these attempts to visit Australia will certainly keep them busy but watch out if they are digging under the perimiter mesh Shouldn't happen if they are on decking, of course. When we went away recently we were lucky enough to be able to recruit two sets of neighbours, one who fed and watered and a family with kids who were issued with a tupperware of mixed corn and visited the girls to chat and scatter their treats. I'd be inclined to leave some goodies like tinned corn, millet sprays or whatever your girls like best, as well as their regular rations and suggest their temporary keepers hang up some greens etc to act as boredom-busters. Enjoy your holidays! Eglu rain covers by jenthelibrarian, on Flickr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackian Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 I vote for home.. I think the chickens are more adaptable than we think they are. We have been away 3 times since we had our girls over a year ago and left them with a neighbour to just come in and water ,feed and poo pick , the first time I worried my self sick but it does get easier , I was used to shutting my girls in the coup and decided to keep it open while we were away ,good job I did the neighbour over slept one day and if the coup had been shut they would have been shut in till 10 when we came back and they came running up to me I thought I was missed but I was holding meal worms Jenthelibrarian I think you are only a few miles from me . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clucker1 Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Well, if you worry about someone not letting them out at the appropriate time, I wouldn't worry! As a BAD chicken Mummy, ours have been left until 10am before now, and guess what ....the chickens were FINE! OH completely forgot to do them!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roselady Posted July 17, 2012 Author Share Posted July 17, 2012 Many thanks all for your thoughts and suggestions; much appreciated We have 4 pekins and a bantam (albeit large one) araucana, all young and not laying yet. They have the 2metre run but we re going to get an extension. The run is covered with the clear omlet cover. They will FR a bit but only for short bursts. Very inspired by your run jenthelibrarian thanks for that, will get some of the plastic. Will defo have a supply of treats - mealworms, the only treat they like, they are so fussy! You re all so lovely and I feel more reassured now. Does that sound ok Tweety? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweety Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 I think it sounds fine with the extended run I keep a Pekin cockerel and 4 Pekin hens in an eglu with extended run and, although they free range all day when I am at home, I think they would be fine for a couple of weeks in the run with more limited free-ranging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roselady Posted July 18, 2012 Author Share Posted July 18, 2012 Thanks Tweety and thanks again everyone else I have another (probably dimwit question) which I'll put on another thread! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dance in the dark Posted July 18, 2012 Share Posted July 18, 2012 Many thanks all for your thoughts and suggestions; much appreciated Will defo have a supply of treats - mealworms, the only treat they like, they are so fussy! Does that sound ok Tweety? Mine are quite fussy too, but I have noticed that they are sort of uniformly fussy. I have 15 hens, and they all love: corn, mealworms, currants, kale, apples etc. But none of them want to eat, sunflower hearts, tomatoes, grapes, in fact, most greens except Kale, cabbage is a massive no no! I wonder if they discuss their opinions on the different treats "the provider" gives them, and then sit around criticizing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roselady Posted July 18, 2012 Author Share Posted July 18, 2012 Apart from their growers pellets and grass/weeds, the only stuff they'll eat is live mealworms which they go totally bonkers over - we call it the chicken arrows when they see the tub from wherever they are Ha love the thought of them sitting around critising! Not tried them on corn yet . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 If you're worried about them getting bored, you could put some perches, branches, logs etc in their run to make it more interesting for them. When I had an eglu run I put a couple of Ikea shoe racks in and they liked hopping and off them . If you can find any pieces of cut logs, they're good for making steps too . Not a great a photo, but you can just see the logs in my run here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roselady Posted July 23, 2012 Author Share Posted July 23, 2012 ANH sorry only just seen your post! Thanks for sharing your pics, what good ideas , I will defo do this. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
