How do you vacation when you have chickens?

[SunnySkies]

$15 to $35 seems low to me....I seem to recall, when I was calling around many years ago looking for someone who would come look in on just the housecats (we had no other animals at that point), they wanted $40/visit plus $1.50/mile each way since we were out of their usual radius. It ended up being $65/day, so I took the cats to work and boarded them for $20/day, total.

I would venture to guess a farm sitter here in my area would be $125 or more plus miles and extra for the number of animals. Although I just googled, just for fun, farm sitter in my area, and there aren't any.

The biosecurity risk makes me hop a bit. I'd have a tough time hiring someone who is going to other places with poultry and then visiting us.

 

[kuntrygirl]

$15 to $35 seems low to me....I seem to recall, when I was calling around many years ago looking for someone who would come look in on just the housecats (we had no other animals at that point), they wanted $40/visit plus $1.50/mile each way since we were out of their usual radius. It ended up being $65/day, so I took the cats to work and boarded them for $20/day, total.

I would venture to guess a farm sitter here in my area would be $125 or more plus miles and extra for the number of animals. Although I just googled, just for fun, farm sitter in my area, and there aren't any.

The biosecurity risk makes me hop a bit. I'd have a tough time hiring someone who is going to other places with poultry and then visiting us.

Sounds like boarding worked better for you.

When I talked to the sitter that came out, I told her about wearing boot covers. No one goes in my chicken yard without it. I am 100% sure that there are no farm sitters in my area as well, so going to other places may not be a problem. I do agree with you about someone going from place to place to place. They would have to put on those boot cover but then you can't assure they will put them on if no one is there to watch them. :/

I have even posted on craigslist looking for a farm sitter. I got nothing.

 

[SunnySkies]

The cats hated being boarded, and my coworkers hated boarding my cats. Two are highly aggressive when not at home, and one hates everyone except my husband. So, while it worked out, that was why I paid a friend to come in to look after the cats the next time I had to go away. And even payng my friend, who lived a mile away, $35/day for one visit (check food, clean water, scoop litter, done) she only came a couple times. I could tell because my busy body nosey neighbor told me later she didn't see the car there on a regular basis, the water dish was dirty, and box was dirtier than it should have been if they had been scooped daily. I knew she might not do it "right" as she told me that she sometimes felt her pet sitting clients were too demanding, but I thought since she was a close friend, she would do better for us. Sigh.

Lesson learned then. Do it myself.

 

[kuntrygirl]

The cats hated being boarded, and my coworkers hated boarding my cats. Two are highly aggressive when not at home, and one hates everyone except my husband. So, while it worked out, that was why I paid a friend to come in to look after the cats the next time I had to go away. And even payng my friend, who lived a mile away, $35/day for one visit (check food, clean water, scoop litter, done) she only came a couple times. I could tell because my busy body nosey neighbor told me later she didn't see the car there on a regular basis, the water dish was dirty, and box was dirtier than it should have been if they had been scooped daily. I knew she might not do it "right" as she told me that she sometimes felt her pet sitting clients were too demanding, but I thought since she was a close friend, she would do better for us. Sigh.

Lesson learned then. Do it myself.

Are you serious????????? She didn't do what she was supposed to do?????????? So sorry to hear that. I hope that your cats were ok.

 

[SunnySkies]

Yep. She was supposed to come check them daily, give fresh water and clean the box. That was my only criteria. And while they were fine, and they are cats and therefore self sufficient to some extent, it makes me nervous. Many years ago, when I was in veterinary school, one of my cases was a cat that had a kidney stone, unbeknownst to the owner, move and obstruct her while the owner was away. Fortunately, the owner had arranged a pet sitter who did come in daily, found the kitty in serious condition, raced her to the vet for stabilization, and called her owner. Owner returned home immediately and brought her to the vet school for surgery. But if the pet sitter hadn't come, that wonderful cat would have died. So...I like having someone come look and make sure everyone is alive every day. Twice a day is better.

And now, with the horses at home, one could colic or get stuck in the fence, or get out. The hogs could get out or tip their water over. The guardian dogs could battle a raccoon and need medical care. That kind of thing. Someone has to come look twice daily, or preferably, stay here if we ever go away. Which we won't. It costs too much money to go anywhere with 4 kids, even if I found a free farm sitter.

 

[pegm]

Wow, some horror stories here....how people can agree to care for your animals and be paid, then not follow thru is beyond my understanding.

I guess we are lucky. I have 3 neighbors that are willing to care for my girls and plants. One neighbor has already done so and we were gone more than two weeks. The place was immaculate. However, I did install an automatic door between the coop and run, built a drop feeder that holds 40 lbs of feed or better and got nipple waters attached to a 5 gallon Igloo cooler. So basically all they had to do was come over, clean out the roosting coop and collect eggs. I tried to make it as easy for any of them as possible, and the added benefit is that it is also easier for me on a daily basis. I had even filled the cooler so he would not have to, but he did anyway. His wife loved bringing over her scraps and having them jump up for them. I have another neighbor that will be just as conscientious, the 3rd I'm not certain about. But I share my eggs with them all so they are more than happy to help out.

My one neighbor complains he never gets to hear them. We are a rural town, but I am still IN town with close neighbors.

I have since totally rebuilt my roosting coop and run so you can actually STAND UP in it and the new coop has a swing out front door that gives total access to the roosting area and is super easy to scoop clean. The run has a dutch door so you only have to open the top half to throw in scraps, greens, whatever and not have them get out. So now it is even easier for my neighbors and me.

I am thankful for good neighbors.....

 

[Orpfreak]

Thank you for the vaca info. Everything I can I find out before the hubby and I decide for sure to get the 3-4 Orpingtons I crave, (for the eggs!!) is fabulous!

 

[dthompson]

I need to travel a loooooooooooooooooong way by car, do some stuff, and come a loooooooooooooooooong way back. I am very worried about my flock while I am away.


How do you take a vacation? Who watches the chickens? What needs to be done? Do you have a checklist? Are there any things you have to tell someone NOT to do?


I have a plan, but I am worried that I have missed something important. /img/smilies/barnie.gif

We have a neighbor that helps care for them. We watch after theirs and they ours. Works out good. If your neighbor does not have chickens offer to pay them and they keep the eggs as a bonus. It's not the same as you...but better than nothing. Good luck.

 

[dthompson]

I am trying to take a vacation but it's difficult finding a pet sitter or someone who charges reasonable prices.  I ventured out in the month of September looking for a pet sitter.  I contacted a local pet sitter and she came out to visit.  She quoted a price of $75.00 per day.  That was way too much for my budget.  I called one of the local high schools that have the FFA- Future Farmers of America club and talked with the teacher that works with the club.  He said that he had a student that would be interested in the pet sitting job.  The teacher and I talked several times and tried to schedule a meeting but something was always changing on the student's part and he couldn't make it out to my place to visit.  This was in September and it's almost January and I still don't have a pet sitter.  And I still haven't taken a vacation.  /img/smilies/hmm.png

Ask a neighbor.... have a babysitter? Ask them.

 

[dthompson]

...

Sounds like boarding worked better for you.

When I talked to the sitter that came out, I told her about wearing boot covers. No one goes in my chicken yard without it. I am 100% sure that there are no farm sitters in my area as well, so going to other places may not be a problem. I do agree with you about someone going from place to place to place. They would have to put on those boot cover but then you can't assure they will put them on if no one is there to watch them. :/

I have even posted on craigslist looking for a farm sitter. I got nothing. [/quote

]wow...I have it good. I pay my neighbor kid $10/day when I am gone.