Who watches your animals when on vacation?

fretti · #21 07/02/08, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reese

Vacation?! What's that?!

No, really, we don't take vacations.

Reese

Ditto.

MullersLaneFarm · #22 07/02/08, 12:35 PM

I've been on vacation the past week. I went to OK for a family birthday party while DH & DS stayed home to tend the animals (milk cow, steer, hogs, horses, various poultry).

They just left for Gettysburg PA to reenaction the battle of Gettysburg. I'm taking the rest of my vacation right here on the farm. I can clean the house and it will stay cleaner longer than 30 minutes. I can play with my fiber, garden, make soap & baskets when ever I want.

Just have to milk the cow in the morning and water and feed everyone twice a day.

When we want to take a vacation together, we wait until the cow is fresh and doesn't need milking, then we have a neighbor come in to feed and water twice a day

mamita · #23 07/02/08, 01:03 PM

nobody could get near my dogs, so we usually just sneak in an overnight away maybe a couple times a year. we don't mind, tho. we love to be home.

I'm the type that ends up bored at the beach..LOL besides walking along the ocean in the early dawn, there's no appeal to me. at home it's like living in a secluded park....more my style.

MichiganTaylor · #24 07/02/08, 02:26 PM

my grandpa and grandma have plenty of animals,so when they go for the winter we have to take care of the animals

Wags · #25 07/02/08, 03:02 PM

We have been blessed with pretty decent house/critter sitters over the years although sometimes not until the last minute which can be pretty stressful! We once almost had to cancel a two week trip to Fiji when our sitter broke a leg just a couple weeks before. Finally found someone just a couple of days before we left. She turned out to be wonderful.

Just talked to a gal today that is critter sitting for our goat breeder (we are the beneficiary of their goat milk while they are gone). She has experience with a variety of animals and doesn't mind milking cows or goats. We will be gone two weeks next February and have planned breedings so that we should only have two does milking. Could probably just leave the kids on them full-time, but I'd prefer to keep production up so will have her milk at least once a day.

My folks live a few miles from us and aren't up to doing daily chores, but they look in on the place and are a resource for the house sitter. Plus we have a neighbor lady that keeps and eye on things and calls us or my dad if there are any problems.

The vet's office is often a good source for finding reliable house/critter sitters.

Cheribelle · #26 07/02/08, 03:14 PM

Vacation? No money, time, or inclination for that here.

Meg Z · #27 07/02/08, 06:33 PM

We can set up for overnight, no longer. I tried one time going for longer, leaving my animals in the care of another homesteader...someone for whom I had farm-sat...just for a four-day weekend. I came home to rabbits without water. The comment from them? "Oh, they hadn't finished their water yet, so I didn't give them more." Finished? Exactly what does that have to do with Fresh water?

So, I'm now too paranoid to leave them with anyone. I'm trying to get up the nerve to have one of the vet techs from the large animal clinic come feed, but I'm not too sure I'm up for it just yet.

Meg...who is admittedly jaundiced about the whole thing.

Nette · #28 07/02/08, 08:31 PM

We have four employees (three that are GREAT!) that take care of the two dairies while we're gone. My neighbor and best friend since 9th grade looks after our eight dogs and one cat. My brother looks after my little flock of 6 chickens. This all takes a WHOLE LOT of coordinating, and a VERY reliable cell phone connection, but we manage to get away a lot more than we used to. The dog situation works out well for both my friend and me--I take care of his cats, and his mother's cat, when they go on vacation, and he takes care of my pets when we go off. If I didn't have him to rely on, I would certainly cultivate a relationship with someone that has the same values/interests as me that I could depend on to see after the pets. And I really do think that the cell phone enables us to get away more. DH is only a phone call away (most of the time) from the guys at the dairy, and can usually handle most situations remotely--for a few days, anyway.

Spinner · #29 07/02/08, 08:55 PM

Vacation? What's That???

Seriously, I have an adult son who lives next door so when I need to get away for a few days, he watches them for me. He does a pretty good job of watching them all the time. He'll do just about anything in exchange for a home cooked meal. LOL

big rockpile · #30 07/02/08, 09:27 PM

Thats one reason we got rid of our animals.No one would take care of them like me.So we just stayed home.

big rockpile

Farmerwilly2 · #31 07/02/08, 10:02 PM

Go on vacation?? My life is a vacation. I've got plenty to eat, nobody shooting at me, even ac when it gets too hot to sleep sound.

Rick · #32 07/02/08, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Judy in IN

What kind of animals are we talking about?

If you've got cattle or horses, brush goats or sheep, you can put a float on the water tank, and go on vacation in the summer when there's pasture.................

Be sure not to leave a bridle on horses or mules left alone overnight- we have a neighbor who did, and one of his mules caught it's leg in the bridle trying to scratch its head, and died a terrible death.

Rick

r2dab2da · #33 07/02/08, 10:38 PM

Thanks for all the info! We plan to move to NC in a few months with our dream acres and house. I've always wanted a small farm but this will be so close to a lot of museums and there's an aquarium in Atlanta, GA I HAVE to go to. Plus I could drive to Disney World. The possibilities are endless. My kids are still pretty young so I don't know which part is a priority yet.

Thanks again!
Rowena

jim · #34 07/03/08, 06:09 AM

I haven't gone in 5 years.Got cows to milk.Friend of mine hired someone to milk the cows once and dry treated some cows so the guy wouldn't have to switch extra cows through the barn.After they they left,the guy decided he didn't want to milk the cows.Didn't tell anyone.My friend came home after a week in Canada to 80 dry treated cows.

gerald77 · #35 07/03/08, 06:54 AM

what is a vacation?

makeitmyself · #36 07/03/08, 10:21 AM

I really have no desire to go anywhere I can't take my dogs.

big rockpile · #37 07/03/08, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by makeitmyself

I really have no desire to go anywhere I can't take my dogs.

Yea we went on couple long trips with three Dogs.Just really didn't like it.

We took our two Dogs to the Lake with us.Tied them out while we was there.They didn't like it and I feel they are happier staying at home without us.

big rockpile

Little Quacker in OR · #38 07/04/08, 02:35 PM

When my dh passed on and I faced the neccessity of leaving home now and then for various things that needed doing I asked my Veterinarian about housesitters. He referred me to good friends of his...three young ladies who do this as a trio. One is ALWAYS home with my critters. They have their own horses and dogs plus poultry, so are critter savvy.

They came way out here from town three times to meet my dogs and get them used to things at first. Since then I can actually go back East and to Vegas occasionally to see my kids and their families. Smartest thing I ever did.

Ask your Vet as well as any dog kennels and horse boarding stables around your area for people who are knowledgeable and ASK for references. Make sure one of those references is their Veterinarian!

My housesitters insisted that I just take a weekend at first to see how the dogs etc did and then I could take off for three weeks when I wanted to. Worked a treat.

I leave detailed notes about each dog and a signed letter for the Vet just in case. I also call my Vet before leaving and give them a "heads up" that I'll be gone and that "The Girls" are watching my place and the dogs.

Good luck, I know how many horror stories there are out there about some people not being trustworthy at all. But don't give up because there are some good ones.

LQ

Pigeon Lady · #39 07/05/08, 01:12 AM

Haven't been anywhere in three years because I was jaundiced along with MegZ. And by the same "homesteaders" too! Cost us hundreds of dollars in vet bills. Lost two goats and one barely hanging on at the vet's and some rabbits. Pigeon water was poop soup! The "run to the feed store" truck with a flat tire and 3000 extra miles on it!!! I could go on and on. ( we were paying these people quite a lot of money too)

We're now tremendously blessed to have Deacon Jim and Rose2005 for neighbors here and what a difference. They've restored my faith in people. I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that they would care for our animals as if they were their own. I no longer lay awake at night wondering what's going to happen when my parents in England die. Or if I or DH had to go into the hospital.

But if we ever do go away for an extended period of time I would whittle things down a bit. Put the snappy Jack Russel and one or two of the other dogs in Kennels. The fragile, sound one day, at death's door the next, rescue horse with the farrier who gave her to me ( and who has graciously offered to care for the horses in the past). The horse is going to keel over dead one day and I just know Rose would be a wreck if it happened while she was taking care of her. So I just couldn't risk doing that to her.

Pauline

Willow101 · #40 07/05/08, 07:51 AM

Dear Hubby and I haven't been away from home together in 25 years because of the animals. We finally decided we really did need a vacation spot so we set up a comfy hide a way on our property. We can go 1000 feet and be at camp but no one can see it. We just love it and it gives us a mini vacation without worrying about how the critters are doing while we are away.

I have had occassion to ask someone to care for the animals and I was never really happy with the care. It would be ok for one night or two but made me very nervous. So the vacation on the farm has solved our dilema and we are even thinking of renting it out to vacationers who want a farm experience.

Willow101