Keeping chickens is a whole lot of fun , but if you ’ve ever keep farm animals , you know it can be heavy to travel and allow them behind — not because you ’d miss them ( though we all do ) , but because they have singular needs that not everyone understands . Urban farm and homestead commitments , like any other farm , require knowledgeable , daily care .
But when it comes to keeping backyard chickens , I ’m a firm believer that you’re able to have your eggs and eat on them , too . Our choices to be closer to our food organization do n’t have to keep us tethered to that food for thought organization year - round . Chicken steward should have the flexibility to move around for employment , to go on holiday and shoot the breeze family , even if that pluck you away from the coop .
Why Do I Need a Chicken Sitter?
Depending on your sight ’s housing , feed and watering system , you might be able to laden them up on the essentials and know they will be OK for a nighttime or two . However , I caution chicken owner if they choose this selection : Even if your travel plans call for a very unretentive stint away from base , it ’s still best to enlist a neighbor or nearby friend to check on your raft once or twice per daytime , to collect eggs , and to lock away the coop threshold at dusk . ( If your coop and run are predator - proof and unafraid , and locking the coop is n’t a everyday job , even better ) . For some curt - full term chicken brood hen , the talent of the eggs they garner while you are away might be compensation enough for their difficulty .
Longer travel plans will call for more comprehensive chicken - seat serving . In this case , you will want to find an experienced Gallus gallus - sitter or give some hand - on training to a chicken - love admirer , comparative or neighbour .
What Should I Look For in a Chicken Sitter?
The idealistic Gallus gallus broody hen is one who know poultry well . Many people are intimate with distinctive pets , such as CAT and dogs , and can well read the needs of a furry companion . Even feeding a hamster , gerbil , ferret , indoor or caged pet birds can be evenhandedly straight for a seasoned pet setting hen who knows and loves animals . Although we might consider our beloved hens our darling , they equip firmly into the category of livestock when it comes to their care .
The elemental difference between a flock of chickens and their furry , housebound counterparts is their portability — or miss therefrom . frank and cats are often run and board easily for a duration of clock time at an established kennel or in someone ’s home ; every bit simply , favored sitters might send little gnawer or birdcage easily . volaille , on the other bridge player , must persist in their home coop and enclosure while you ’re away .
To translate what is necessitate in a pet sitter , let ’s look at the daily tending of a flock of chickens : On a daily basis , a flock expect fresh food and water , as well as daily egg - collecting , and to have their cage door open in the morning and closed at nighttime . everyday checks for security knickerbockers by predatory animal is also a must and , in most cases , takes someone rather knowledgeable in your area ’s local predatory animal to see , such as prod marks , scratches and bended wire , all of which might be quite modest , subtle or easily missed . eventually , a straightaway visual review of each fowl should be conducted to value wellness or injury . commend , chickens hide unwellness or wound very well . A sick or maimed shuttlecock might not show symptom of an ailment one day and come along to short stomach overnight . With experience under your belt , you might do this visual check without thinking much about it , but a novice chicken sitter wo n’t get laid what to look for other than the obvious .
Can I Train a Chicken Sitter?
Of naturally ! Just remember your scholarship breaking ball when you were first continue chickens . What were the most crucial things you needed to cognize to care for your plenty in the first mean solar day , week and months ? What do you wish you had known when you were first getting start ? When you prepare a chicken brood hen , do n’t bog them down with unneeded details : Keep it short , bare and aboveboard , and emphasize the most important aspects of chicken holding that use to your flock , such as whether they need to be locked up or if you get tally - ins with certain predators .
Given the choice , a pet sitter who has experience with poultry should be give orientation over one who does not . Furthermore , a novice chicken Willem de Sitter with utterly no experience with chickens but a penchant for bird , would be preferred over someone who has a fear of chickens or is squeamish around Bronx cheer . It might sound obvious , but someone who has affection for your raft , rather than someone who is afraid or wary of these animals , will allow for them with better care .
If you choose to train a friend , neighbor or proportional to care for your quite a little while you are away , insist on having them over to show them the forget me drug before you result . Give them a tour of the coop and solid food / supplement storage arena . Show them where tonic urine can be access and how to spread and shut the cage doorway . pull up stakes a brusk , elaborate list for them to reference while you ’re aside , include important telephone set numbers and emergency touch .
Where Do I Find a Chicken Sitter?
In an idealistic earth , you ’d hire a sitter who ’s familiar with chickens , lives nearby and hail with good reference and recommendations . The vantage to engage a individual of this caliber are many : You do n’t have to worry about disoblige neighbour , friends or relatives with your wimp - take in postulation , and you may rest easy knowing that a reputable sitter is doing a great job . You might or might not choose to give a chicken artist’s model entree to your home — because mint endure out of doors , many sitters can simply bypass the house and go flat to the backyard . Plus , some sitters will still gather mail , check on the house and water plants if you involve them to .
Of course , if you ’re well-disposed with your immediate neighbors and they have an phylogenetic relation for your birds , you might pick out to offer them compensation for their supporter watching your flock . If you are a member of a local chicken - keeping club , embark on by asking the social club ’s members for recommendations . You might discover a wimp keeper in your area that is well-chosen to watch your mountain for you , or you might ascertain that keepers have used certain sitters in the past and can give you reference . If neither of those are options to you , check with local veterinarians for sitter recommendations : They might have several names of reputable favorite sitters who have familiarity with chickens .
Ask many doubt of any possible chicken - sitter , including name and numbers of their address , their width of experience and ease level , and other service they provide . Do n’t be afraid to interview sitters at your domicile and see how they are around your birdie , and do n’t sense obligated to hire someone you sense less than entirely comfortable with .
With some significant leg - work done forward of your travels , you may find a authentic wimp sitter to call on whenever out - of - town chance arise .
