What to do with your chickens when you go on vacation

Because your flock ain’t booking flights, but they still need tending

So you’re fixin’ to hit the road for a little R&R—maybe the beach is callin’, or you’re just headin’ down yonder to visit kin. But hang on… what about your feathered family back home?

Chickens may be low maintenance, but they’re not no maintenance. If you leave ’em high and dry, you’ll come back to a mess of squawkin’, peckin’, and possibly a chicken mutiny.

Here’s how to keep your girls (and fellas, if you’ve got a roo or two) safe, fed, and happy while you’re off enjoyin’ yourself.

👩‍🌾 Option 1: Call in a chicken sitter

(a.k.a. your neighbor who owes you eggs)

Your best bet is to get yourself a chicken-sittin’ human. Could be:

• The nice neighbor who always smells like fresh bread
• Your cousin’s teenager who wants extra cash
• A fellow chicken keeper who knows the ropes

Here’s what they’ll need to do:

• Toss in fresh feed and water every day
• Gather eggs (or risk them bein’ used as dinosaur grenades)
• Make sure nobody’s limpin’, pantin’, or lookin’ suspicious
• Open and close the coop if you don’t have a fancy door opener
• Maybe give a scratch behind the comb if they’re real friendly

💡 Pro Tip: Write it all down, even the “obvious” stuff. Chickens ain’t like dogs—nobody’s born knowin’ how to care for ‘em.

⚙️ Option 2: Let the robots help

(Technology ain’t just for city folks anymore)

No sitter? No problem—if you’ve got the right gadgets. You can automate a fair bit:

Gadgets that’ll save your tail:

• Automatic coop door: Opens at dawn, shuts at dusk (like a polite farmhand)
• Large gravity feeder: Holds days’ worth of feed without goin’ dry
• 5-gallon waterer: Or more, depending on how hot it gets
• Security cam (optional): So you can spy on your flock from the beach like a proud chicken parent

⚠️ But let’s not kid ourselves—automation ain’t foolproof. A stuck door, a tipped waterer, or a surprise predator can ruin a vacation real quick. Ask a friend to swing by once or twice if you can.

🧼 Pre-vacation coop prep

(Chickens don’t clean up after themselves… yet)

Before you hit the road, set things up right:

🧹 Your pre-trip to-do list:

•  Clean the coop like you’ve got company comin’
•  Fill all feeders and waterers to the brim
•  Gather up every egg so you don’t return to an omelet explosion
•  Check each hen for funny business—mites, limps, sassiness
•  Double-check fences and locks
•  Leave a note with vet info and your number in case things go sideways
•  Toss in a boredom buster (frozen watermelon, hanging cabbage, a mirror—chickens are vain)

🕒 How long can you leave chickens alone?

(This ain’t a test. Please don’t push your luck.)

• 1–2 days: Doable if they’re set up with plenty of food, water, and shade
• 3–5 days: Possible if you’ve got a good setup and someone to peek in
• A week or more: You better have a saintly sitter or some kind of chicken miracle in place

🧺 Final thoughts

You work hard, and you deserve that break. Just remember—your chickens didn’t ask to stay home, but they’ll forgive you as long as someone brings snacks.

Plan ahead, get a little help, and your flock will be cluckin’ along just fine when you get back.

Happy trails, and don’t forget to send your hens a postcard.