On Holiday

The second most common question (besides the rooster question) is:

So I would like to have chickens, but what do I do if I need to go out of town?


Remember how you are supposed to be on good terms with your neighbors? Well, this is a circumstance when this is helpful. I would leave my hens alone for a night, but two nights is pushing it without someone checking on them. Chickens are worse than your 2 year old at spilling. They spill so they can scratch. Until someone invents the chicken version of a sippy-cup, they need to be checked on. Buffet style is not for chickens, their appetite knows no limits. They will not self-regulate, but eagerly chow down on the additions to the feeder.

My babysitter becomes my petsitter when children are not in the equation (I am sure her role becomes confusing when my children act more like animals). Since I have multiple pets, a large garden, and mail to bring in I find it easier to hire someone. My babysitter has chickens and goats so she is pretty competent in the small farm department.

My chickens free-range at least every evening. As Barbara Kilarski says in her book, Keep Chickens, "I let them romp freely for about a half hour before dusk" this makes it easier to get them back to the coop because chickens will instinctively go to their shelter as it gets dark.

When I go out of town I feel bad for keeping the girls, ahem, cooped up. As I was researching the topic I came across a Back Yard Chickens Forum where people said they would leave treats for the chickens while they were gone. Putting a log or something new for them to jump on keeps them busy. Also, try giving them a pumpkin, watermelon, ears of corn or something they can sink their (figurative) teeth into. It takes then a bit longer to plow through these foods.

http://thelittleredhen.typepad.com/my_weblog/photography/page/2/

This solar powered automatic chicken door from My Pet Chicken is pretty neat if you are so inclined.
Read more about "Flying the Coop: Vacation Care for Your Flock" in Backyard Poultry!


http://www.everywheremag.com/news/2011/01/
http://trainwithchelsea.blogspot.com/2009_10_01_archive.html