Holiday Horror with maggots

[KellyHM]

So sorry for your losses. I feel your pain. We had the neighbor petsit while I was in the hospital having a baby. I got home to discover everyone without food and hardly any water...and LOTS of my younger chickens dead.

The only reason the adults did ok was b/c they free range and have access to the duck pond.

ETA: This neighbor also has chickens, so it's not like they don't know what to do with them.

 

[FlipFlopFarmer]

I have a few people that take care of my animals when I am away. My theory is I only have someone who owns the same animals, and keeps them up to the same standards I do. I only use people whose homes/farms I have been to. Most times i have more than one person coming, as I have a wide variety of pets from reptiles to livestock. I don't want, or expect someone that owns a dog to take care of my snake. They mean well, but won't know what to look for. I view finding/ having a pet sitter the same as knowing an emergency vet, or having a fully stocked medicine cabinet, or here in louisiana, having a working generator for hurricaine season, IT IS A MUST TO BE PREPARED! If I had to rely one someone I didnt know personally, I would check references.

 

[chkn]

Quote:
That is hilarious! They must've been happy chickinz!!!

 

[chkn]

I had a rooster I fixed with the maggot infestation but I always wondered if I'd missed it before with at least one hen. I feel very stupid, I've had chickens for many years but I really had no idea how to 'doctor' them until the last couple years. It helps a lot having this forum and to know who to ask for at the farm supplies since they usually have a 'chicken expert.' But it does take a lot of time to become a reasonable chicken caretaker. You could have someone who has had chickens for a long time and still not be too good at it. It might be a good idea to ask the next 'chicken taker' what types of conditions they have treated in chickens. That should be very telling. I do feel sad for the chickens though, they don't always get the best care because of some of us stupid humans. It doesn't help that not very many vets know how to deal with them either. I do know with the worm infestation, you've probably got 2-3 days to figure out what is wrong and attack the problem. Anyway, very sorry for your loss.

 

[SilverPhoenix]

As someone who does petsitting from time-to-time (I would do it more if I could find more people to petsit for!), these types of stories make me so sad and sick.

I'm so sorry about your hen and your rabbit, too! I'd definitely find another petsitter and get references from them, maybe quiz them after they've gotten the routine, ask to see their animals and make sure they are well-cared for, and make sure you have a good feeling about them. Intuition can be a good forewarning, after all. Some people try to petsit just for the money and really don't have the knowledge, responsibility, or commitment to be petsitting.

I hope all of you who have had negative experiences are able to find good, reliable petsitters in the future. I wish I could petsit for all of you! It makes me so sad that people have the nerve to offer to petsit and then don't care for the animals properly...

 

[chkn]

I have a friend who I pay to come over once or twice a year to watch my chickens, etc. She loves the eggs but she is terrified of the birds. She has to bring her husband along to do 'point' for her. I just have to set it up so she doesn't have to handle them or get them closed up at night so nothing could go wrong. You always have some risk when you go away and of course that is always a big worry for me. I always say a little prayer for the critters on the way out.