Sometimes the help is no help

[JadedPhoenix]

Boy, it has been HOT lately. I'm going on vacation at the end of the week and I can't wait to get out of this humidity. Of course, there is always the issue of taking care of the animals while I'm gone. I've hired a neighbor to feed and water the chickens and collect the eggs. I honestly didn't think that it would become a big deal until he asked the same questions about when to feed and such more than three times in one conversation. Okay, I get it. He doesn't take care of chickens often so he was being sure. Then something came up that I'd never would have thought about addressing while I was showing him around the run.

You see, I have quite a bit of greenery in my 44' by 22' run. Most of it is from Passion Fruit flowering vines. I have one side of the run completely covered on the outside with it and it gives quite a bit of shade (one end also is covered in blackberry bushes which the chickens LOVE). Inside, the vines cover much of the middle part of the run and it gives the smaller girls some shade and all of them will nibble from time to time. I made a mention that I hoped that the vines would grow a bit more to give the bigger girls more shade by the end of the summer and the neighbor said that he was glad that I mentioned the plants, or more over the fact that I wanted them to grow more, since he had already planned to WEED MY RUN while I was gone. After all, he'd never seen anyone have plants inside a chicken run before.

That's because it is hard to find something hardy enough to survive chickens that won't hurt them!

Boy would I have been upset if I came home to find a barren run.

Just out of curiosity, what are some other things that folks have come home to after a vacation after someone tried to "help" them while on vacation.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Vacation, what's this vacation you speak of?

Seriously, I haven't been a vacation since my honeymoon, which was 7 years ago! And during that week I was gone, I called several times everyday to check on everything...and my own BROTHER was house/animal sitting and he'd done it several times before! So, yeah, I'm not much help. I hope you enjoy your vacay though!!!

 

[ChickenLegs13]

Yeah, what's vacation?? My wife just went back to her home state of CAL for a month to visit her family. I stayed home to run the horse farm and the poultry farm. Funny thing is she thinks I miss her.

 

[ejcrist]

Yeah, what's vacation?? My wife just went back to her home state of CAL for a month to visit her family. I stayed home to run the horse farm and the poultry farm. Funny thing is she thinks I miss her.

That was good!

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

 

[Lisa Wood]

Boy, it has been HOT lately.  I'm going on vacation at the end of the week and I can't wait to get out of this humidity.  Of course, there is always the issue of taking care of the animals while I'm gone.  I've hired a neighbor to feed and water the chickens and collect the eggs.  I honestly didn't think that it would become a big deal until he asked the same questions about when to feed and such more than three times in one conversation.  Okay, I get it.  He doesn't take care of chickens often so he was being sure.  Then something came up that I'd never would have thought about addressing while I was showing him around the run.  

You see, I have quite a bit of greenery in my 44' by 22' run.  Most of it is from Passion Fruit flowering vines.  I have one side of the run completely covered on the outside with it and it gives quite a bit of shade (one end also is covered in blackberry bushes which the chickens LOVE).  Inside, the vines cover much of the middle part of the run and it gives the smaller girls some shade and all of them will nibble from time to time.  I made a mention that I hoped that the vines would grow a bit more to give the bigger girls more shade by the end of the summer and the neighbor said that he was glad that I mentioned the plants, or more over the fact that I wanted them to grow more, since he had already planned to WEED MY RUN while I was gone.  After all, he'd never seen anyone have plants inside a chicken run before.  

 
That's because it is hard to find something hardy enough to survive chickens that won't hurt them!

Boy would I have been upset if I came home to find a barren run.  

Just out of curiosity, what are some other things that folks have come home to after a vacation after someone tried to "help" them while on vacation.  

My dogs outside in SC heat panting uncontrolably while sitters in my hedroom with door closed? Sick elderly Border Collie, sitter had permission to take to my vet and did'nt. Snow storms huge issue in SC, the people pretty much loose their marbles. One man just left dogs in crates over 24 hours because he had to go home cause it SNOWED? Another woman left to return home when I was snowed in some mid western airport trying to get home. There was over 48 hour gap. She left pack of large dogs at large and threw down some milk bones? They act like theres no snow at their house?
And finally, the cincher. My husband had a PO who worked with him, who kept telling me everything was fine every day for seven days while I was away on work trip. On the way home he informed me he accidentally SHOT HIMSELF in the foot, because my show/performance dog jumped on him while he was doing whatever to a loaded gun. This was mature trained dog, taught as puppy never to jump on people.
I just got chickens. But I will ask Tractor Supply employee I like, or someone from my vet office or SPCA. Like a student going for vet school to enhance her resume.

 

[aart]

Not a vacationer, was a friends chicken sitter for a decade.

I had them write down everything I needed to do (cause I Can't Remember Stuff haha) ...
.....and I wanted to make sure the tasks were clear to both of us.

Enjoy escaping the humidity!

 

[Eggcessive]

I hired a teen to watch my chickens, water and feed, and lock them up securely at night. I demonstrated everything I wanted him to do. He was to clean waterers and refill them every evening. I came home, and the waterers were grungy. When I asked if he changed the water, he said that they had plenty in them, and didn't need changing, LOL. You have to make it all clear, and write it down.