want chicks can you still have a life?

[Chickenaddict]

Quote:
I'm with you on that one. Noone around here i would trust taking care of the chickens. The neighbor loves them but she spends her days sitting in the house drinking booze, by supper time shes 2 sheets to the wind. I stay home alot of the time, altho i do work but basically im a house keeper and make my own schedule which is really flexible. If i go out i must make sure i am home before dark so they can be locked up. I am tooo attatched to them to leave them in stragers hands and my family is tooo far away and are scared of the roosters. I certainly can't afford to hire a "pet sitter" and they are far and few between in these parts.

 

[mfranti]

Quote:
so ummm... i'm reading this thread thinking, it's easy, you ask a young'n from the ward, then i remembered that i'm not on and lds blog...

then i come to your post and think well he's on the right track....

 

[WoodlandWoman]

There are a lot of things you can do to make caring for your chickens easier. It's a lot easier to get a person to come over once a day, when it's convenient for them, than it is to get a person to come over in the morning to let chickens out and then at a fairly exact time to close them up at night. If you want to, you can even set up chickens to not need a pet sitter at all. This usually requires more of a money investment.

It's pretty easy to add more food and water. Heavy pans of water don't tip over or lose their seal like other waterers can. There are also dog bowls and poultry waterers that attach to a hose. I like to have multiple water sources, so there is back-up, in case something goes wrong with one of them.

The biggest issue is the safety of the chickens. You can get an automatic door to let the chickens in and out. You can build a predator proof run, so the chickens are safe with the pop hole door open. You can make the coop large enough and cool enough in the summer, so that they can stay inside the coop.

It's good to write down exactly what needs to be done for the sitter, so they don't forget. I would post a copy in the coop, as well as giving them a copy of their own. Make sure they have contact information, in case of an emergency. I always include a local friend's number and the vet, too. It's also a very good idea to train your chickens to come running when they see a treat container, in case one accidentally gets out. Let your sitter know about that, too.

At the moment, our chickens are set up so that if we're away from home due to an emergency, they will be fine for several days. In the past, we've traded pet sitting with neighbors and had it work out great. We also traded pet sitting with a neighbor and came home to a dead dog and a house full of poop and pee. We've also hired a house sitter, which worked out great.

 

[crazyhen]

well today we got the wire on top of the chicken yard. Next the door and we will be finished with it all. Wow, I never realized how hard it was to build a chicken coop and yard. I live in the mtns of NC. The drought has been terrible and the ground like layers of stone. We have red clay. Thankfully we just got the remnants of Fay. So far we have had 6 inches. It has come slowly and soaked in for the most part. We were down almost 12 inches for the year. I can barely wait to get my hens. There is a lady in the area overun with them. Hopefully she has some buff -opp. I see lots of people on here talking about different hens what are EE's? I'm afraid I am a bit new to this. Crazyhen Jean

 

[Beekissed]

Easter Eggers...lay different colors of eggs.

 

[lleighmay]

I have an arrangement with a guy I work with who lives about 1/2 mile from me. We both got into chickens at about the same time and happily enable each other so if I have to go out of town either he or his wife will come over and if they need help I'll be right there. I feel much better having them nearby; my parents live down the road and would help if I asked but my Mom's got some arthritis problems and my Dad's got cattle and his own set or responsibilities without adding my creatures to the mix.

 

[crazyhen]

Thanks,
all the info. will be needed I am sure. I think a teen who lives down the road did some house checking for a summer friend while she was away. He did well and enjoyed the money. He comes from a farm family so maybe that will work out. crazyhen jean

 

[hensonly]

Quote:
Well..... You could always wait til spring

I think you should take them with you!!

Wouldn't that be fun??!!

More seriously, are there any pet sitters in your area (ask at the vet's or the local animal shelter)? Even if you had a dog or cat, you'd have to show them your routine, I'd think you might have a chance of finding one who'd be willing to care for your chirps.