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We are off on our hols soon which has presented a small problem. Our usual 'sitters' (the in-laws) are coming with us.

 

Does anyone know of a Chicken Sitting service or kennels (coops?) in NW London that we could contact for some help?

 

I am reliably informed that there are about 1,000 eglus in and around London so there's a a business opportunity for some budding entrepreneur.

 

All suggestions gratefully received. :?

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We just use neighbours - the teenagers are very happy to be paid to look after hens and present their mothers with eggs (not sure if they sell the eggs to mothers!!)

 

If the hens are in the eglu run then it doesn't matter if said teenagers/friends don't live right next door - we have found just one or two visits per day sufficient to tend to the girls.

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I know the problem, only too well. There are pet sitting services or ring your local vet. Our vet have lots of girls who'd love the experience.

 

If you live nearby to here, even I could help out. I know what it's like when you need to go away etc and no one will offer. Not many people like getting up early

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Maybe James and the guys could add a forum heading "Chicken- Sitters", where those who would provide the service could be listed; say, just name and location, and those looking for a sitter could drop them a line by email or pm to make the arrangements. OK, so I know it may be an opportunity for an entreprenuer but there's also a chance for us to help one another out on a less formal basis.

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We've only had our girls for two weeks (Marmalade and Matilda) but have become so close :oops: we had arranged for someone to look after them while we were on holiday but this was prior to being with them! We now feel that we would only like someone who has experience to be with them :shock: We live in the West Midlands so if anyone would like to offer we would obviously do the same favour for them when they went on their hols! We think chickens are fabulous :D

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Hello Jane (new to this)

 

That's a shame, as being a fellow West Midlander I feel a bond already.

(I'm from the black country - what about you?)

 

I live in Leicester these days, but totally agree with you.

 

We are really lucky as my parents-in-law breed rabbits, birds and giunny pigs (excuse the terrible spelling there) so I'm hoping they will have the girls over to stay with them when we go away in July.

 

Good Luck anyway

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Hi Gina, were in Sutton Coldfield? We are going away in August and although some friends have said they will call round and look after the girls( you know let them out, lock them up etc) we think we would rather them be with some one who can let them out for a while. We didn't think we would get this attached to them but it doesn't take long for them to become part of the family!

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I think there's another thread somewhere on a similar vein, I think a lot of us feel the same way about our girls. It's amazing how quickly we become really attatched to them and want to see them well looked after when we're away.

I'm willing to look after anyone's chickens and Eglu, no probs. I'd be willing to travel reasonably short distances to visit chooks in their own homes, although term time mornings are a challenge, so it'd be better for me if I had extra Eglu's and inhabitants to stay. But whatever, if there's anyone out there in the Dartford/ NW Kent/ SE London area do feel free to contact me. If I can help I will

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Forgive me if this topic has already been covered in some detail but I'm new to this. I was wondering if I could swop holiday chicken cover with someone in West London. Or indeed pay someone to look after my two chickens for a couple of week in August? Is this the right place to post this message? I have two chickens, Maude and Violet. I can get someone to feed the and walks the dogs while I'm away but the chicken are a whole diffrent matter. I'm told that an Eglu will fit four chickens? If anyone is interested please drop me a line.

 

Best Regards

 

Newshound

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I'm in the same predicament. I can hire a sitter who will visit twice a day, but now the girls are getting up so early no one will entertain the thought. Which means I can't go away on holiday or weekends until they pass away :(

 

i have a new neighbour and don't know them well enough to ask and the other side the house is empty. I don't have family here and most friends live miles away.

 

Jules

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Hi Jules

Start packing your suitcase :D

Burke and Hare will be fine for a couple of weeks over the summer with their eglu door left open. The eglu run will provide them with the necessary protection from foxes and they'll be plenty warm enough.

 

When we went away over christmas, the teenager who was looking after our girls was a bit dubious about getting up before 11am so we left the eglu door open all the time. We had a plastic home made rain cover so made sure that it was over the run right up to the eglu as a wind break as much as anything else. The omlet winter cover could do the same job. The hens were perfectly fine with no signs of frostbite when we got back - hensitter did say she would set her alarm and close door at night if temp was due to go below freezing :roll:

 

As long as you have someone reliable who will call on them once a day to do fresh food and water (pop an extra water container in the run) and collect eggs you can go away with a clear conscience and have a great holiday :D:D

 

ps for a short weekend the girls will be fine on their own. Just put out extra water, top up the food and be prepared to collect 4 eggs on your return - eggs will be fine in nesting box for a couple of days. We've done this a number of times and other people have as well. Hens are much easier than dogs!! They'll have to be confined to the run ofcourse, but I'm sure with a few extra treats on your return, all will be forgiven :wink:

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I don't mind leaving the roost door open, but if they go into the run they go nuts if no one lets them out into the garden. So thats what my real problem is. They squawk until they're let out and my neighbours will go nuts. :?

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I've just returned from our local cattery/ kennels after booking in my cat for the duration of our holiday. Whilst there I started chatting to the owner, & he occasionally looks after chickens- slightly at owners risk because of the fox problem, but he's apparently had quite a lot of enquiries and it's something that he's looking into expanding. He's in Bexley, so not much use for a lot of you I'm sure, but if there's anyone in this area who's interested PM me and I'll send details. He keeps a few chickens himself and a gorgeous pet duck. He's got an incubator and used to hatch his own eggs- lovely conversation, and I met the duck :) . Almost took the sting out of finding out how much it was gong to cost me to place the cat with him for 15 days. Ouch!!

But it did make me think that anyone looking for chicken sitters might find it worthwhile approaching local pet boarding places, especially since we can provide our own housing & run if necessary. Easy money for them really, I would think that a lot of them would consider it.

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