What to do with animals during vacation?

[Brushy hogs]

Hey everyone. Just a dumb question. We have not taken a vacation in 10 years, but are planning on traveling out of state for Thanksgiving. We have pigs (in pens), goats, chickens, cats and dogs. We plan on being gone for 4 days but don't really trust any of our neighbors.... (long story). We plan on keeping the chickens (usually free range) locked up in the coop with wall feeders and a 5-gallon waterer. We bought a deer feeder for the pigs and goats and have set it to feed 6 times per day (vs. twice a day when we're home).... Cats can be overfed or fend for themselves (they actually belong to one of the neighbors)... and we will have to take the dogs with us. Is there a better way? If so, PLEASE let me know before we go.... Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Wendy]

I would find someone to at least check in on them while you are gone. I'd never leave my animals alone for 4 days even if I knew they had food & water. Things can happen. Not sur ehow manu chickens you have, but 5 gallons of water would not last mine 4 days. What about water for the goats & pigs? What about the eggs? THey may start to eat them if they aren't collected everyday.

[ct01r]

We don't have livestock, but usually pay a neighbor to come take care of the pets (multiple cats and a dog). Usually it's the kid that does lawn work for me, sometimes someone else. If we're gone for several days, we have them move the cars around and chnge the light timers to make it look like someone's home. They pick up the mail and paper, too. Curt

[Whisperwindkat]

We hire someone to stay at the farm. I would at least hire someone to come and check on them daily. Anything can happen in 4 days. Blessings, Kat

[mzgarden]

Agree with the others - planning their food and water is good but not foolproof. Animals have a way of getting themselves into trouble in the most unusual and unexpected ways. Minimum, someone with common sense needs to be checking on them every day. The best is to barter/pay someone to house-sit and be on the property. Maybe someone else you know would like to take time away and you could sit their property? And it's more than just animals you need to consider when you are away, especially during holidays. The time is perfect for thieves to come in, fires to start and of course, people knowing you're gone may take advantage of your absence.

[Elie May]

Yup, I would find someone to come check on them all. Sure would ruin a good vacation to find out something had gone wrong while you were away!

[Paumon]

I think you need to have somebody check on them once a day.

Animals are like children. Animals that are accustomed to always having humans attending on them at least once a day every day will get anxious when suddenly they don't get the reassurance of that daily human attention.

When they get anxious because of feeling abandoned they can become fearful and panicy and create their own ways to get themselves into trouble. That often involves them getting into bad situations that they normally wouldn't get into, and causing serious trouble or physical harm not only to themselves but to each other as well since they will take out their anxieties on their companions.

There's no way I would go away for longer than 1 day and not have another human checking on them at least once every day, preferably twice a day, to ensure they are safe and comfortable and not causing trouble for each other.

[crazyfarm]

My husbands family lives about a mile from us. We talk his brother, who lives in his parents basement, into watching our animals.

[Rectifier]

I would worry about pigs in pens as well as the chickens. Things go wrong very fast without supervision in confinement - something gets knocked over and animals go hungry/die of thirst.

4 days is not too bad. We left our sheep flock in the hands of a neighbour boy for 3 entire weeks while were 700km away doing business in a neighbouring province (oh and also giving birth to our first child). He checked them every evening, fed them their grain ration, moved feeding panels around the bale stack and cleaned out the water bowls.

2/48 young lambs were lost, one to Vit.A poisoning when it got into a bag of mineral, one fell between round bales and was trapped and crushed. Not bad but it could have been a lot worse if nobody was there.

The main concern IMO is hay feeding and water reliability. Unless someone is hauling bales or moving panels and electric wire, count on at least 50% waste of hay that is left around in bulk. If your critters are few enough in number to eat from your hay feeders for 4 days then you are probably OK.

The deer feeder is a good idea for grain feeding a smaller herd. You got me interested, but it looks like they don't put out enough to fatten up my lambs (from a hunting site: 5 lbs in 25 seconds means the motor has to run ~3 minutes per bushel of oats)
- can it put out enough grain for your pigs? Will the batteries last on a heavy duty cycle?

[COSunflower]

Call your local vet clinic and you can probably hire one of the vet techs to come out and check things once a day. Our vet techs do this all the time plus they know what problems to look for.

[Riverdale]

A neighbor's son (who has animals in is very active in the local FFA) comes over the rare times we leave.

[Wolf mom]

Hire a house sitter. I live far enough our that it is easier for someone to stay the night to feed in the evening then the next AM. During the day the house sitter can go to town, etc. if they wish. But they're there most of the time in case something happens.
Critters get into trouble - Murphy's Law. I'd hate to have something happen with just someone throwing some feed & not being there long enough to check out the animals.

[okiemom]

never would have thought about the local vet techs. great idea for the future. Luckily we don't go anywhere longer than a weekend.

[vpapai]

We work with the local 4H club. Have gotten some great helpers there.

[Brushy hogs]

The pigs have access to pasture and I have the deer feeder set to feed 50 pounds of feed in four days. As for water, we always water with a 55 gallon elevated drum that feeds 3 separate water bowls. Full, it lasts a week and a half for all of the larger animals I have. (Plus the goats will have access to the creek and other watering holes around the yard.) I am also planning on getting a round bale to put in with the pigs... both for comfort and food. And, you will all be happy to know that a neighbor has offered to check on them daily. I live very far out and access is a little rough. Finding help is not easy in this area. Those that I would trust to not take advantage of the situation live too far away so I guess it is what it is. I truly love all of my animals and as I said, this is the first time in 10 years that I will be leaving them. However, my granddaughter is already 2 years old and I think it's high time I meet her!

Thank you everyone for the suggestions!

[hippygirl]

In January, we'll have been married for 33 years...went out of town "for recreation" on three different occasions...one day/night in Fla with youngest SIL and her DH, one day trip to Fla during Spring Break (we didn't know it was Spring Break, BTW...won't ever make that mistake again!), and one day trip to the Okefenokee.

We don't get out much...

[SJSFarm]

I do farm sitting as a side job! I know there is a need and when I leave - two of my kids have competitions that are overnighters several times a year- I have to find a person who knows how to milk a goat!

Check with the local FFA and 4H clubs. Between child members parents, older kids who drive and leaders or their aqaintences, you will find someone.