Chicken Boarding

[Mr Toolbag]

Guys,

We are on holiday over the Christmas/New Year period....we need somebody to board our 4 hens in the Warwickshire area preferably. Any ideas welcome!

Chris

 

[Sue]

All I can suggest is do an internet search. There are a few reputable breeders offering this service in Devon now. One only started very recently, so I think this is going to become more widespread as 'back garden' poultry keeping increases. Just make sure they have a good reputation if you find anyone and go and have a look around at there birds/set up before you make a decision. Don't you have any friends who could have them? You could always employ one of the pet sitting services who visit your animals at home daily. I'm sure they must include hens now in their list of animals they care for.

 

[chrismahon]

Do they come with a coop and run? We are in Staffordshire, about an hour away from Rugby.

 

[Marigold]

Train up a local teenager? Mine is really interested in the job and managed very well in the summer, with the reassurance of potential backup from her chicken-owning parents, (not needed.) Show him/her exactly what you want them to do, write it all down, provide your contact details, vets number etc. Stand back and watch them manage a probationary trial run. Pay them well according to local teenage rates (I give Mollie £2 per day for 20 minutes work approx) and let them keep any eggs they collect (not many at Christmas but worth it in the summer.) S/he will want to do well so you'll want to employ them again at what is an interesting and responsible task. Much easier, and cheaper, than the upheaval of transporting and boarding the hens.

 

[karminski]

good idea less chance of any illnesses caused by stress , travel etc .

 

[Marigold]

I forgot - the price will have to go up for mine now she'll have the quail to look after as well, but she's very keen to do this!

 

[foxy]

All I can suggest is do an internet search. There are a few reputable breeders offering this service in Devon now. One only started very recently, so I think this is going to become more widespread as 'back garden' poultry keeping increases. Just make sure they have a good reputation if you find anyone and go and have a look around at there birds/set up before you make a decision. Don't you have any friends who could have them? You could always employ one of the pet sitting services who visit your animals at home daily. I'm sure they must include hens now in their list of animals they care for.

Good idea, if you search "pet sitters" you might find someone to help you. A lot of pet sitters are only too happy to look after poultry now, an extra feather to their bow?

 

[Marigold]

Or, of course, get a neighbour interested. I got back into chickens 3 years ago, after a long break, by catching the bug again when looking after my friend's birds (yes, Mollie's parents.) You can simplify the tasks down to the minimum for a few days, and give the run a good clean out when you get back. It may be that they'll want to get some birds of their own, and then you can help each other out in the future. Good to have some eyes and ears around the place whilst you're away, as well.

 

[chrismahon]

All good advice there Marigold. Home security around Christmas is always an issue. We used to get a neighbour to look after ours. He was keen to learn so we showed him the ropes, gave him the vet's number with instructions on decisions ALWAYS best for the bird (disregard cost or sentiment), a reminder list of tasks, and the keys for all the coops and the house. We made sure the water butt was full and there was plenty of feed. No problems at all. We cleaned all the coops out and moved the runs when we got back.
Of course then we had 3 coops, now we have 10, which is far too much for one working person.

 

[wendywoggles]

Before we got our hens we went round to ask nieghbours if they thought they could look after them when we are away,on holiday or other reasons, and they had been thinking along the same lines as us and were just waiting for the right time to ask us the same thing!! We do have another nieghbour who has since offered his help as we look after their kids guinepigs when needed. So we count our-selves lucky.

But unless you ask you don't know how they can help you. Nieghbours are usually good people only too willing to help. They just need asking. And FREE EGGS as a bonus and possibly a bottle of wine.

 

[victorias poultry]

Hen sitting is great fun, out "hen hotel" is booked up over christmas! - they even get a pasta and mealworm christmas 3 course meal