Poll: Do you go on vacation? (In a non-COVID world)

[sarahconnor]

Hello Friends!
I'm wondering if you go on vacation and how do you handle the care of your livestock and poultry when you are away. I'm talking about this outside of the pandemic and all that. I have no immediate plans to go anywhere but I'm just trying to think ahead down the road. Thanks for any and all of your input.

My fiancé hates to travel so he stays home and takes care of them.

 

[pintail_drake2004]

Yes, on weekend trips is where my automatic waterer and feeder really shine. The five gallon waterer is hooked directly to the hydrant, and doesn't get below a certain level. This can only be used during the Spring, summer, and fall before it starts to freeze, and I have to swap it out with a 5gal waterer and heater. My feeder holds over 100# of feed, and last several weeks during the summer (when chickens free range) and about 2 weeks during the winter.
I am lucky enough to have family 1 mile down the road, more family 5 min away. So, they are willing stop in an check and make sure everything is OK. We usually take a weekend trip every 6 weeks and a longer vacation (Europe) once a year.

 

[CluckerFamily]

I don’t go on vacation unless it is a day or two trip. I am such a homebody. If I go on a day or two trip, the dogs go to a friend’s doggie daycare and my sister stops in to check on the chickens.
When family or neighbors go on vacation, I am the one that normally takes care of their animals.

 

[Vicker]

My chicken set-up is low maintenance. I leave plenty of food and water for them. I leave the little door open enough for them to slip in and out but not big enough for a large predator. I have an electric fence around them. I might ask a neighbor to check on the birds every few days and keep all the eggs they collect. I have livestock that can fend for themselves for a while, also. A neighbor will usually check on them every few days. Even the cat is good on her own. We just added a LGD, so we will have to plan on someone coming regularly to feed him--or I might get a large automatic feeder.

 

[johnfarris57]

I have grandkids in 3 different states so yes I go on vacation. I built my own coop door that's plugged in to a smart plug that I can turn on with my phone from anywhere. Also put in a ring camera to keep an eye on my 2 hens. A friend comes by every few days to pick up the eggs and add feed if necessary. It has worked out pretty well so far.

 

[concrete_boots]

5 hens
5gallon feeder
2 2.5gallon thermostat controlled heated waterers
Secure run with camera I can access on phone

My birds set up to go 5days easily..depending on how they are laying the only thing I need to send a friend/family/neighnor there is to collect some eggs.

 

[sourland]

I pay an animal caretaker who comes in once or twice a day depending upon need.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

For major vacations I have to plan hatching season and other things around in the similar manner some have mentioned winter weather JUST being too much to ask.

First and foremost, I understand that things are NEVER going to be done exactly MY way or as perfect as I expect.. since heck, I cannot even meet my own expectations most of the time..

I've seen lots of great response here already and tried/used/done most of what's been suggested at various times and with plenty of success. But times, locations, and those things change!

With my kids being young adults and working hard to thrive I wanted to take them on a special family trip to Las Vegas, where I no longer had to be the "parent". So we could just have a great time together healing past old hurts, miscommunications, and growing pains. It was to be two weeks total driving plus stay.

A year PLUS of planning.. First a personal friend was int he plans.. an injury happened making me realize that age and klutziness were factors I hadn't considered BEYOND trust, reliability.. which I TOO had become a SHUT IN, with even day trips or shopping causing HUGE anxiety.. Actually, chickens and animals.. HELPED soooo much.. I made all kinds of trips and contacts for the PETS! They helped spark something.

So friend is on the bench, the kids which are also my only family now are going with. I found Rover.. one of those middleman pet sitting services. Not truly trusty but used as tool to make local contacts and use my own discernment.. Had one candidate.. they showed for the meet and greet and passed initial assessment. So I scheduled a "test" run.. got an excuse the water heater burst, and tried again.. with yet ANOTHER excuse.. WTF, excuses won't keep my animals alive.

At that time I had narrowed down my load for vacation to 3 dogs, 2 mini pigs, 2 cats, 2 rabbits, 3 coops, 3 and guinea pigs.

I had a long time acquaintance who despite having some rough history (let's say hippy-ish) had NEVER given me ANY reason to distrust.. She needed a new place to live and I needed a trustworthy, drama free pet/house sitter. It's not ideal surely, she has a little dog of her own who had to adjust to the farm life.. but it has worked out well, and my family had a great vacation. She spends most her time with her grand daughter but really never leaves town. Despite being elder.. has a good head on her shoulders to not freak out IF something happens, understands and minds her boundaries and limits to minimize injury. She's here EVERY morning and EVERY night now anyways! It's been a few years now.. The animals KNOW strangers and prefer someone their familiar with..

Part of the planning ahead included adding a second pig for companionship.

I'm not stupid though.. I know there might be some days that poo gets left until the next day. I understand and allow space for SOME er knowing things happen.

Only once have I come home to a deceased chicken.. and honestly I should have dispatched that one before I left!

Since then, I've built a new coop, installed automated doors, and so on. Chickens are the easy animal to care for.. a roll away nest can be used if weather is decent enough and no one is able to collect eggs.

It usually cost me about $25-30 day with my live in pet sitter. I would happily pay more for non live in if it were as reliable.

My local friend pays $100/night for her pet sitter, when they go to Dr appointments.. and still sometimes come home to eggs collected out from under her broody or other mishaps.. usually her animals and place are still in tact though.

Mostly I love being home and consider it a life long vacation in my own little world.. But I feel called to share some of that joy with others instead of hoarding it! Vacation, yes!

 

[julai]

I have 13 chickens, 4 ducks, a cat, and 2 dogs. lol
Edit: 2 dogs*

we have 11 chickens, 3 barn cats, 2 australian shepherds, 2 quarterhorses and a brother in law who lives behind us. And a daughter, grand daughter and son in law who live next door. We got our chickens during Covid 2019, so we haven't tried a vacation yet.

 

[Cloudview]

Yes, there are 2 other neighbors that we share responsibilities with for pet/farm animal care so we are able to have vacations as can they. And all the cats and dogs and poultry are happier to be taken care of at their own homes.