[delph]

Hi all,

Just joined - have had my 3 chooks for just 10 days and all is well so far. They seem very happy, get on well together and are laying. They are in a wooden house with small run + a big bit of garden to explore. The kids have named them Rosie, Elizabeth and Sarah.

Rosie is a Goldline. Sarah is thought to be a Rhode Rock and Liz a Shaver Black - but we are not too sure about these 2. The girl at the farm wasn't sure.

I wish I'd known how much poo they do though! Cripes!

I'm wondering what to do when we go on holiday for a fortnight (late Jul/early Aug.) I don't think our neighbours will be too keen to do the twice daily routine, and most of our friends / family live too far away.

Is there such a thing as chicken-sitters?!
I'm in South Oxfordshire.

Diane

[ordinarygull]

Hi

Can't help in Oxfordshire, but there is a lady near us who advertises cat care while you are away - she will come to your house and feed and change litter trays. I stopped her the other day and asked her if she'd do chickens too, and she was more than happy to.
Maybe worth seeing if anyone locally advertises something like that?
My other option is to find friends who still live with parents, and ask them to house sit while I'm away....

O\G

[Foxy]

Have a look in the waiting area of your local vets, quite often I have seen local animal sitting services advertised in there

[too many girls]

hello Delph, welcome, what's a holiday.............

[delph]

hello Delph, welcome, what's a holiday.............

... Ah yes.... A holiday is a period of time in which, instead of working at work, I entertain the kids 24 hours a day for a period of 1 or 2 weeks.... this involves breaking up fights, dealing with complaints, retrieving them when they run off, clearing up mess, repairing damage, apologising to people, etc etc. It's great! 

Thanks for your suggestions all. I'll look for pet-sitting ads, and meanwhile see if I can gently introduce neighbours etc to the chooks, in the hope that they will fall in love with them and beg to be allowed to look after them while I am away!

cheers
Delph

[Sue33]

tell your neighbours they can help themselves to the eggs while you're away!

[GrannieAnnie]

Hi delph, I think TMG said that with tongue in cheek!  The last time I had a PROPER holiday with my OH, was in 1994!  If I go to Kent to see my daughter and family once a year, he stays home to look after the chooks!!

Oh and you haven't seen chicken poo until you're cleaning out after 500!!!!   

[Bruced]

google dog walkers / pet sitters - you get a few funny responses but we found a nice lady to look after ours. if we ever go on holiday...

[too many girls]

google dog walkers / pet sitters - you get a few funny responses but we found a nice lady to look after ours. if we ever go on holiday...

vet them first, or you may come back to find ho hens and no house contents................

[Bruced]

Thanks for the reminder TMG. Not that the kids have left anything in the house worth wrecking. Have 3 kids in the space of 30 months and see what that does to your valuables...

[craig1981]

glad someone asked this question . i googled pet sitters in nottm and a nice chap has just rang me back and will look after my girls with two visits a day for £6 a visit so £12 a day . they gonna come visit beforehand and show me all there crb checks and so on . Apparently when he was younger he grew up on a farm which is ideal for the girls . Good luck in finding a sitter for yourselfes

[wildwitchy]

hello.  good luck with your chickkys and enjoying your holiday.

Whats a holiday?

[Fannyann]

There is a lady in Hook, Hampshire who will board your chickens!

check out www.chickenkeeper.co.uk

not sure if it's what you're looking for or if it's too far from you.

[Vic K]

Hi - the Omlet site advertises chicken sitters

http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewforum.php?f=24

[janet12000]

£12 a day for looking after some chickens?

I tell you what I'm in the wrong job!

If anyone is planning to go on holiday and they live in the B33 or thereabouts area of Birmingham I would be willing to help.

I'm crb checked for looking after vulnerable adults. Never been checked for minding chooks!

I'll quite happily do cat litter changes and I won't steal anything! Promise.