BYC Café

[sourland]

Good morning, Cafe' - coffee is ready.

 

[aart]

I'm curious about others' experiences with "chicken sitters." My neighbor (the one who got 16 chicks a week ago) will be chicken sitting while we're on vacation in a month. No one, not even my husband, has taken care of the chickens but me. Hubby has gone into the run a few times, but I'm the one who feeds them and cleans the coop.

We'll be gone for a week. All I'm going to ask her to do is: open the pop door, and put out fresh feed and water in the run in the morning. Evening will be take out the food and close the pop door. If it's before sunrise/after sunset, the chickens will be in the coop.

Opinions and suggestions from y'all about any of this:

1) If she gets up later and it's daylight and the chickens are out... I'm thinking the hens will run away, but the rooster may come at her. Incentive to get up early...? I'll tell her to wear jeans.

2) Poop management will be poop boards clean and fresh before I leave, and I'll deal with the poop when I get back. I'll remind her to watch her step in the run.

3) Bio security. She now has week old chicks, but they'll be 5 1/2 weeks old by then. I don't know if they'll still be in her house, or if they'll be outside. I can ask her to change her shoes, and if she says she will, I will trust her to do so. Anything else I should request?

4) Will my chickens remember me...? They aren't lap chickens (though if I didn't have a roo, the girls might be or might be allowed to be friendlier), but they will come up to me for treats, and they talk to me through the fence.

I didn't realize I'd gotten so attached to them. I'm going to miss them while I'm gone.

But I'll get to sleep past dawn...

I'd have her over to walk thru the list, maybe more than once.
Then write down the list so she has it to reference.
If the male and her do not get along might be good to keep him in a separate enclosure.
This is how it worked when I was chicken sitting.

Since you're already neighbors and have probably visited each other flocks already, I'd not stress about the biosecurity.

 

[DobieLover]

Well isn't THAT just ducky. And now what are they going to offer to keep you as a happy customer??? They better bring it in the house and set it up at least. Hopefully they don't show up at the door Thursday with another chair.

They are delivering for free and I'm going to make them vacuum and mop before I allow Bella to let them leave!

I'm sorry you had a reaction, I didn't have anything other than the 1 day sore arm for either one of my Pfizers. I'm 2 weeks out as of today so as safe as I can get.

I also found a lymph node swollen to the size of a marble in the armpit of the arm that got the shot.
And a somewhat related side effect of the shot and R&F's stellar customer service: I threw my back out sleeping in the chair after my napalm/steamroller night.

When will they have the results? Just asking as my fingers start to numb a little

Monday. If they don't call me, I'm supposed to call them.

Makes me wonder if somewhere out there a lonesome dishwasher is waiting to be taken inside...

I went out and checked my porch to see if it was here. Maybe you'll get my friggin' couch!

Grandbaby is getting big, as well.

Love the 'do'!

 

[DobieLover]

I'd have her over to walk thru the list, maybe more than once.
Then write down the list so she has it to reference.

This is what I'm doing with my nephew. I told him he'll need to come to work a half hour early the week before we leave. He'll watch me the first two days then I'll watch him the last day. I'll try to talk him through some of the basic behaviors and how to move around in the flock. I don't think Fabio will give him any crap. He watches strangers but doesn't do anything.
He'll also have to come over for the lock up ritual.
I hope I don't have any broodies needing breaking by them. I tossed Jody in the breaker last night and she was a shrieking missile in there. It went on for well after dark because I was watching her on the camera. She's out now but I'm heading back out in a bit to check on her.

 

[DobieLover]

Good morning Cafe. Thanks for the coffee, Sour. It's dank and drizzly out there. I've got a fire in the stove.

 

[CLSranch]

Good morning cafers. Rain stopped but a damp cold morning. We had 82 last Sun then 28f Mon or Tue morn.

We'll be gone for a week. All I'm going to ask her to do is: open the pop door, and put out fresh feed and water in the run in the morning. Evening will be take out the food and close the pop door. If it's before sunrise/after sunset, the chickens will be in the coop.

So they are all locked up. No problems

1) If she gets up later and it's daylight and the chickens are out... I'm thinking the hens will run away, but the rooster may come at her. Incentive to get up early

If they're locked up what's the problem. And they are creatures of habit. The will do their normal routine whether you open it, or I or her. I think your over thinking it.

I'd have her over to walk thru the list, maybe more than once.
Then write down the list so she has it to reference.

Good idea.

Since you're already neighbors and have probably visited each other flocks already, I'd not stress about the biosecurity.

Ditto.

DL it may be more comfortable to sleep in the floor. We know you have the room now.

 

[cheepteach]

Good morning Cafe. Thanks for the coffee, Sour. It's dank and drizzly out there. I've got a fire in the stove.

I surrendered to more wood in the wood rack 2 days ago---feels good

 

[bruceha2000]

Our Staples closed down!

So did the one up here, have to go 25 miles south to Burlington. Lucky for me I happened to be going down there right after my second shot. I think the only place up here to get SOME of the stuff Staples sells is Wally World.

 

[Mtn Margie]

Morning and thanks for the coffee! Still snowing... I don't have to drive anywhere today!
No Santa gifts here... Enjoy the day you all!

 

[Sally PB]

Thanks for the comments, everyone. Yeah, @CLSranch, I probably am over thinking it. But that's what I do.

Bright and sunny today. I'll even have something to post in the "what did you do in the garden?" thread by the end of the day.