Chickens and going on holiday ...

[winebeforepearls]

... how? Do you need nice neighbours to come and feed them, let them out, lock them up, etc?

(Have to have ammo to persuade DH we're going to have chickens when we move to country in the summer)

Our neighbour is really good about coming in - we have devised a system that means it is only once a day, and she of course gets the eggs! What we do is to put a food container and water container in their house, they are in a self contained house/run. So she can shut the door into the house, so they are shut in the run, top up the food and water, collect any eggs then reopen the door to the house. This means she won't have to chase lunatic chickens round the garden, and she also doesn't need to let them in and out at nighttime/morning - they put themselves to bed.

They are usually ok for a day or two though.

Thanks, TS. We'll have to make sure we have chicken-friendly neighbours before we take the plunge then!

Personally, I think we should set up a Mumsnet Chicken-Sitting Exchange System.

Good idea.

We have just been away and a lovely neighbour has let them out in the morning and shut their door at night. She collected the eggs. Would worry about someone doing it for longer than that, they would need cleaning out too!

So just have holidays in other MN chicken-keepers' houses ...

We're heading for deepest rural Scotland - anyone?

Yes, we will have to go on charm/egg offensive with neighbours. 'Here, Mrs Neighbour, have two dozen of our fresh organic eggs. Did I mention we're off to the Bahamas for two weeks?'

on second thoughts ...

I wish I knew, MH. We're still looking for a house. But if we end up close enough to you, I'll be in touch!

(And glad to hear that you'll be clean )