What to do when you go on holiday?

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What to do when you go on holiday?
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Mrs Fiddlesticks

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 10460

Posted: Thu Feb 24, 05 4:29 pm Post subject:
We did get next door to do it ( and of course they get to keep the eggs). It worked out well, our neighbour is a frustrated chicken keeper anyways, his wife won't let him, and actually his 10 year old son let them out in the morning and enjoyed the responsibility. Result all round.

sofaloaf

Joined: 20 Feb 2005
Posts: 18
Location: Kent

Posted: Thu Feb 24, 05 4:49 pm Post subject:
If we go on holiday, we'll get my uncle to house-sit, but I know that this is not an option for many. It's a difficult one!

Wombat

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 396
Location: SW Cheshire

Posted: Thu Feb 24, 05 6:30 pm Post subject:
We have a single mum friend and her daughter stay in house and look after everything, yes even sometimes my Port!! Works well though, they enjoy being in the village and we pay them same as putting dogs in kennels per day. Doesn't sound very good that, but we do supply all food, goodies, etc. Wombat

Gertie

Joined: 08 Jan 2005
Posts: 1638
Location: Yorkshire

Posted: Thu Feb 24, 05 6:40 pm Post subject:

Last year we had a week in Spain and 10 days in France. I'm the sad one who hates going away, but once I'm away I'm ok. then worse bit is coming home - on the journey I am wondering if there is any bad news!!

This year we are doing some work on the house so have decided we won't be going abroad (HOORAH!).

We look after pets in our street - we looked after next door's old staffie for a couple of weeks - bless her - Lundy fell in love and although he complains about me buying additional food for the cats in the street, didn't quaver when I asked him why we were buying a big box of dog chews - despite not having a dog.

You see pet sitters advertised in glossy magazines, but bet they are a fortune, you have to make sure there is enough food for them, pay expenses, plus a daily figure. I would rather have friends and family do that and pay them extra.

Nanny

Joined: 17 Feb 2005
Posts: 4520
Location: carms in wales

Posted: Thu Feb 24, 05 7:57 pm Post subject: holiday

you can ask your neighbour (i wouldn't ask mine)

you can get a friend or realtive to live in

you stay home

we have chosen the third option for the last 5 years but that was before we had accumlated all the extra creatures we now have

there are enough things at home to keep me going forever, therre is no travel trauma and you don't worry about the animals

maybe one day we will go to scotland again which is where i would like to live if i had my druthers but the house isn't finshed and i would not feel right spending the money on a holiday when we could do with so many other things

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Thu Feb 24, 05 8:16 pm Post subject:

sean wrote:

You can buy new ones. Don't think of it as a holiday, think of it as an opportunity for flock renewal.

That reminds me, when's your puppy read for the table.

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42207
Location: North Devon

Posted: Thu Feb 24, 05 9:01 pm Post subject:
See Cab's posts about why eating carnivores is a bad idea. Besides he is neither free-range nor organic.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Thu Feb 24, 05 9:08 pm Post subject:
But he's been raised with care and no been fed rubbish, that's what counts. Pop him on a vegetarian diet for a month and I'll be round.

judith

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire

Posted: Mon Feb 28, 05 10:42 am Post subject:

Just read this topic - very timely as we have just got back from 3 nights away!

We are lucky enough to have a large barn - if we go away overnight, I just lock the chickens in there with plenty of food and water. If you have a garage, you could probably do the same. There will be a bit of a mess to clean up when you get back - OK a lot of mess

- but they would certainly be alright for a couple of nights.
As it was so cold this time, I did ask a neighbour to pop in and check that the water wasn't frozen, but it wouldn't have been necessary if the weather had been warmer.

As for other animals, my OH was very reluctant right from the start to be completely tied down to the place. So the compromise that we worked out was that I would only buy in stock for fattening up for the freezer - no breeding animals at all, apart from the hens. This means that we can't go away from late spring through to autumn, but then there is so much to do and it is so beautiful here during those months, that it doesn't really matter.

mrsnesbitt

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 1576

Posted: Mon Feb 28, 05 10:47 am Post subject:
Bugs did you get sorted? My oldest nephew is coming of an age where he is old enough to travel.so if all else failed he could come and house sit for you. He is a great chap.loves animals and has looked after ours on occasions.

Pilsbury

Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 5645
Location: East london/Essex

Posted: Thu Mar 03, 05 12:15 pm Post subject:
We are lucky in having a guy 2 doors away who went to school with my OH and who isn't able to keep pets so he is only to happy to pop in and see to our 3 cats everyday we are away. It is a real releife when you find a long term solution to the problem and we dont mind making plans, or for thet matter just taking off for the weekend now.

Tristan

Joined: 29 Dec 2004
Posts: 392
Location: North Gloucestershire

Posted: Thu Mar 03, 05 11:52 pm Post subject:

We used to have friends and relations in Worcestershire we could get to cat sit, but none of them would drive to Hants

. Thankfully our neighbours used to keep poultry and are happy to do the honours in return for the eggs (and a decent bottle of wine) so that isn't a problem. When you have five cats the cattery bill is nearly as much as a house sitter but I don't know if I would trust a complete stranger in my house.

Marigold123

Joined: 06 Feb 2005
Posts: 224

Posted: Sun Mar 06, 05 6:15 pm Post subject:

My (now-ex) partner does it for me. I've taken the kids away a few times for 3 - 6 nights since getting the chooks a year ago, and he's been very good about it. He is very conscientious about letting them out, and was getting up early specially to do it until I told him he didn't need to sweat it and they'd survive!

He is very sweet about the hens, and makes a point of spending some time talking to them when he's on chicken duty. I think he makes more effort with them than he did with me! LOL

Mr O

Joined: 13 Feb 2005
Posts: 5512
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada

Posted: Mon Mar 14, 05 9:18 pm Post subject:
Predictable as you said but the real answer is ... You don't go on holiday! Why would you want to anyway?

Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Mon Mar 14, 05 9:40 pm Post subject:

Crikey I've missed a few posts here, don't know how I managed that.

Thanks to everyone for their comments; particularly to Mrs N for her kind offer of a nephew! I'm not looking for a specific date at the moment, but in the next year or two we'll perhaps need to make a few househunting trips somewhere far away.

Problem is it is shocking how little knowledge some people have of animals; some of our friends and family just don't seem to realise how easy it would be for a fox, dog or even bird to do a fair bit of damage, or how important water is. In a bigger place, we'd go for something like Judith's solution. Fresh water and protection are the topmost important things, food could be arranged easily enough with a generous supply of layers pellets of course (in the case of chickens).

The Orange, I understand exactly what you mean! We're looking for a place/way of living where our life won't be a holiday, but where the best holidays will be a day here and there to do what we want at home. In fact we already like staying at home but with the neighbours we have it's not always as pleasant as you'd like. And of course when we do get where we want to be, there's always emergencies of some sort that might draw you away; that would mean even less time to plan so it would be good to consider this kind of thing in advance.

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