[kegs]

What should I pay a school boy (15) for looking after 8 hens for 2 days?
Thanks.   

[Diddy Gardener]

Two bob and an orange?  Sorry. Difficult - what does he need to do, just collect the eggs and make sure fed and watered?

[Mrs.Apron]

Crumbs, that's a hard one.  £20?   Or am I way out of touch??

[joyfull]

I think £20 max' and for that I would expect him to get up early to let them out. Make sure their feeders, drinkers and grit/oyster shell boxes are well topped up. Then collect the eggs in the afternoon to stop any birds from getting broody and finally visit again at the end of the day to make sure they are all tucked up safely.
I would not expect them to pooh pick (afterall it isn't everybodies cup of tea).

[kegs]

Thanks all.

I offered to pay 2 bob and an orange but he didn't seem very keen! 

Will go with the £20 and any eggs option.

[Dopey113]

Oh yea, £20 and 2 days of eggs, that will make him and his mum happy

[themagicaltoad1]

B***er, I was hoping to get away with offering the lad next door £30. for the whole week when we go away. I just hope he doesn't read this site!

[GrannieAnnie]

If I lived next door to you, I'd do it for £30 Toady!!   

[Dopey113]

Of course, there is a minimum wage.... you dont want to break the law now do you? and employing minors!! 

[GrannieAnnie]

Apparently there isn't a minimum wage for children under 16, but this is from Direct.gov

There are different levels of NMW, depending on your age and whether you are an apprentice. The current rates (from 1 October 2011) are:
£6.08 - the main rate for workers aged 21 and over
£4.98 - the 18-20 rate
£3.68 - the 16-17 rate for workers above school leaving age but under 18
£2.60 - the apprentice rate, for apprentices under 19 or 19 or over and in the first year of their apprenticeship
If you are of compulsory school age you are not entitled to the NMW. Some of your other employment rights are also different.   

[Geo]

B***er, I was hoping to get away with offering the lad next door £30. for the whole week when we go away. I just hope he doesn't read this site!

I would agree with you £30 for a week and they keep the eggs. £20 for 2 days would cost you £70 for the week. that would buy another 6 hens 

[pigeonpie]

When I go away I have a friend who really wants chickens but whose wife won't let him so he's always happy to look after my girls and in return I bake him cakes every now and then and buy him some beer / wine as a thank you.  Another friend in the village has 4 kids who love my girls so I get them to collect the eggs and feed the wheat after school each day (in the summer) when I'm away and I have the deal with them that whatever eggs they collect they can have to either use or sell and whatever money they make they can keep.  I should have perhaps warned their granny (who also lives in the village and is one of my regulars for eggs) - they sold her half a dozen for £5 last time I was away!!!!!

If someone was offering £20 for 2 days I would snap their hand off!!!!

 

[themagicaltoad1]

B***er, I was hoping to get away with offering the lad next door £30. for the whole week when we go away. I just hope he doesn't read this site!

He did say he would do it for nothing, I think he's looking forward to it. Maybe I could get away with just bringing him a stick of rock