When you go on holiday....

[bosschick]

What do you do about the eggs? We make sure our chickens have enough food and water when we go away but obviously can't collect the eggs. Last week we came home to 34 fairly mucky eggs (we have 6 beautiful ladies). I washed the eggs in luke warm water and assuming they will be fine but is this right? Will bacteria have got in while the eggs were just ly8ng in the garden?

Agree with that Merrz, when I tip the water out and replace with fresh they ignore the fresh and drink the tipped out stuff on the muddy ground.

Mine do this -its because the water is moving !
They focus on anything that moves and go straight for it ,usually worms,bugs etc.
The reasoning for fresh food daily and fresh water is to reduce food around for vermin and good hygeine/husbandry .
Chickens can get diarrhoea/go down quickly.
Its obviously up to you -mine guzzle fresh apple cider water

Mine are on auto waters connected to a 1,000 ltr ibc tank with avc in it, we also use those free range feeders that hold 10+ Kgs of food in them(blue tub on legs with a spring) but I have an angreement with another chicken keeper I watch their hens and dogs when they are away and they watch mine.

I think you can only rescue the grass if you can divide the area up and rotate. Ideally three or four sections so that the rest periods are long enough.