It’s inevitable.  Sometimes you need to go away and sometimes you just want to go away.  When you have chickens (or other animals), a little planning is needed before you pack those bags.

Certain animals can be boarded.  We have done that in the past…when we had one dog.  But now?  We have 2 dogs, 5 cats, 8 chickens, and 2 cows.  Boarding is not exactly an option anymore.

If you go away for a day trip, a friend or neighbor can minimally take care of your animals.  If gone for longer periods of time a farm sitter is a good choice.  They stay at your house/farm and tend to the daily grind.  It’s a good idea to entice the deal by stocking some of their favorite food.  Farm sitting can be a great experience for someone thinking of starting a farm.  They get to experience not only the hard work that goes into running a farm, but also the fun things like gathering eggs and cooking with them.  Because the farm sitters are providing a service, you may want to pay them.  In return, you should expect them to take good care of your farm and animals.

For this to go smoothly for all involved, I make a list.  (I make lists for everything, just ask my children.)  This particular list is a job description, if you will.  I specify times to do the feedings, amounts to be fed, where the food is kept, and what time to shut up the chickens.  Our animals are on a schedule.  Just like humans are on some type of schedule for eating/sleeping, I think animals should be also.  It doesn’t have to be exact, but within a time frame (8:00 ish).  Something I do if we are using a new farm sitter is a run through.  I have them visit our farm in the morning, if possible, and walk through the schedule with me.  This way it’s not just a list, but also a visual.  This also gives them the opportunity to ask questions along the way.

Obviously, leave your contact number for the farm sitter to reach you if needed.  It’s also a great idea to leave contact numbers for someone that lives close by in case there is a ‘hands on emergency’.  Make sure you let that person know that they are ‘on call’.

Taking time to create a list and working through that list with your farm sitter gives peace of mind to all involved, including your beloved animals.