[The Goods]

Hello,

I was just wondering how you all manage your holiday time away from your hens? It will be the first year that we have had chooks and am finding it hard to find chook sitters while we are away.

A friend has offered, but is umming and arring as she has never sat chooks before....



 

[joyfull]

I either get a friend to chicken sit or my sone comes over.
If you want you could put your friends mind at ease by getting them onto here so if they need help somebody on here would help answer their question.

[The Goods]

If my friend declines we will have to cancel our holiday  . 

We dont live close enough to family or friends to get them to come over daily.

They have dog sitters/cat sitters...but struggle to find chicken sitters.....surprised no one has thought of that idea!

[ali2]

Not sure if there is any in your area but there are some places who take your chickens and look after them for you ...am thinking of where we buy ours from they have sort of chicken kennels !! Mind you have not tried them out as we have friends who keep an eye on them for us.

Maybe worth a try to see if you can find any local to you.

[gracie]

Is it a local pet shop where you buy your food, they may know someone or you could put a card in the port office etc. I know it's probably not your first choice but better than never having a holiday again. If you discuss it with people you know they may know someone that would live to look after chickens for a couple of weeks, you could treat them and let them keep all the eggs you are away. You never know who may offer if only they knew you needed the help.

[The Goods]

We buy our food from a local riding stables.  It has been getting that desperate I even put on my status on my facebook page re our chook sitting problem.....Not a dickie bird!

I am still hoping my friend comes through, fingers crossed, if not, holiday to the lake district will be cancelled.  Either that or take an extra tent for the girls 

[ali2]

Take a look at this page http://wiki.omlet.co.uk/index.php/Chicken_Sitters_Directory - may help  - or Google in chicken sitters

Good luck be shame to have to cancel your holiday

[Aunt Sally]

These people will even clean out the chicken coop :

http://www.tenderlovingpetcare.co.uk/bird-sitting-kent-bird-care.html

And these do chicken boarding:

http://woodside-farm-chickens.webs.com/poultryboarding.htm

Both in Kent by the way, The Goods.

[Kenilworth]

Not sure if there is any in your area but there are some places who take your chickens and look after them for you ...am thinking of where we buy ours from they have sort of chicken kennels !! Mind you have not tried them out as we have friends who keep an eye on them for us.

Maybe worth a try to see if you can find any local to you.

Hi Ali2
Hope you dont mind me asking but i can see your in herts and was wondering where this place with the chicken kennels is?

We usually have a recently divorced friend who house/chicken/guineapig/goldfish sits for us, (he is glad to get out of his bedsit for a week or two) but we cant rely on him forever and was wondering if this place was local to where we are?

[ali2]

Hi Kenilworth - it's on the Beds/Herts border near Dunstable  - go to www.woodsidefarm.co.uk...it doesn't say on the website that they 'kennel' chickens but I know they did and feel sure they still do ...we haven't had to use them but would possibly think about it if we had to.

Ali 

[ali2]

  Either that or take an extra tent for the girls 

That would be fun ...they would love it !!!!!!!!!!!
[/quote]

[Lindeggs]

How long are you planning to be away for?  How many chickens do you have?  (That makes it sound like I'm going to offer to chicken-sit but it might be a bit far to come from New Zealand...)

The way I am managing it is that I use a low-maintenance Deep Litter System so the house doesn't need to be cleaned out.  This isn't an instant fix as it needs at least a few weeks to establish, but works very well for me.

I'm lucky not to have predators around so I don't need to close the coop door at night, but you can get automatic door openers, or make one yourself if you are handy that way.

I also have a couple of feeders that will last my chickens more than five days (that's the longest I have been away so far) and I have waterers dotted around so if one gets spilled or spoiled they still have plenty of fresh water.

The only thing left is collecting the eggs.  My pullets aren't laying yet but when they are I have an aunt and some neighbours who are lining up to be the official egg-collectors.  They will keep whatever eggs they gather.

I hope you find a solution that works for you and can still take your holiday.

P.S. If all else fails I hear chickens enjoy caravan holidays.

[joyfull]

I have seen a few people who take their chickens on holiday in eglus 

[Kenilworth]

Hi Kenilworth - it's on the Beds/Herts border near Dunstable  - go to www.woodsidefarm.co.uk...it doesn't say on the website that they 'kennel' chickens but I know they did and feel sure they still do ...we haven't had to use them but would possibly think about it if we had to.

Ali 

Hi Ali

Thanks for that, we're in Bedford so relatively close will give them a visit one day soon with littl'un.

Cheers
Kenilworth

[GrannieAnnie]

Holiday?  What's one of them?  

I haven't had a proper holiday since 1994!  But I do get to visit my daughter in Kent for 1 week a year, and hubby stays here to look after the chooks as he won't come with me!

Chicken sitting sounds good, but it depends on how much they charge.  Might be cheaper to sell your chickens then buy some new ones when you come home!  

Whereabouts in kent are you? not exact location, just rough in case I know someone who might be able to help!