craftyhunnypie Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 As you know we have been away for a week & got back last night. Our chicken sitter has been really lapse this time. Stagnant water in my hubby's chicken shed. His font topped up & never washed out so slimey. Food containers so overfilled - all spilt in runs & gone manky & smelly. Been given growers instead of layers - the youngsters have been on layers for 3 weeks. My eglus & cube so unbelievably grotty - nesting areas absolutely caked in poo, trays full of poo. But the worse bit - red mite in my pink eglu!!!! My hubby had red mite in his shed before we went, but he hot air gunned, stripped his shed apart - yacht varnished , poultry shield, powdered & powdered his birds. They are back. This is mainly due to the chicken sitter taking no notice what so ever of what we said. Hubby made up a full bottle of poultry shield & told her to spray in the cracks & to powder regularly - but no, the bottle & powder had not moved. We have both spent all afternoon - pulling apart hubby's shed & me pulling all the eglus & cube apart - scrubbing, poultry shielding & powdering the eglus & the birds. I am fuming. The thing is the chicken sitter lives in the next street & is handy. She is a teenage girl & we think she now wants the money but not do te work. We had this once last year, but gave her a chance & it has always been good since. If I had just 3 chickens I would ask an Omleteer, but 23 chickens is a big movement & catching our big cochin cockerel ' Boon' is a job & a half. There is a local dog walking / pet sitting business just up our road - as near as our sitter. But it's a bit awkward as the parents of our sitter are our friends - buy our jam,eggs & invites round for curries - we would sooner the teenager say she doesn't want to do it anymore than ditch her. What would you lot do ? Help! Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gelbel Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 I'd find someone else. If she is not doing what you ask drop her - don't worry if her parents are friends. If they really are friends they will understand. Do you pay her in advance? You should only pay her when the job is done properly. But it seems from your post she is hit or miss. Time to kick her into touch I'm afraid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rona Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 Definately don't use her again but tell her why. Thing is, if you don't say anything then she will think that it is OK to do a bad job so she doesn't get asked again rather than say she doesn't want to do it in the first place. I wouldn't pay her either but as her parents are your friends, it might be best to talk to them first in case she says you are just complaining to get out of paying her. Perhaps offer to donate the money to charity on their daughter's behalf. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Falkor Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 Perhaps an Omleteer could stay at your house and bring thier hens for a holiday next time?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyhunnypie Posted September 7, 2009 Author Share Posted September 7, 2009 Hubby spoken with her parents & took her money round for doing the chooks. She doesn't like the poo! Her mum & dad are doing them the next weekend we are away - but I think they are politely telling us they don't want to do them anymore. So I'm now looking for a local person to take over her job. It's stressful & hubby found mites in the cube tonight too - on the top of the grey back, whilst he was going round spraying the poultry shield. I am so disheartened over my chooks at the moment. Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 Errrr, they've always pooed and it sounds like she's done them ok before...I suspect other factors have got in the way and she's now lost interest in the job but not in the money......classic teenager really .......I have no idea how she can be so lax with live creatures though........if my child had taken on a job like this, I'd have gone to check on them every so often...............and probably done the job myself which would defeat the object of the exercise Do you have a vet's practise nearby who may have a nurse who'd be happy to do the honours, or place an ad in their waiting room, you never know somebody may want to have chooks but can't for whatever reason & would love to look after yours when you are away...and home too perhaps occasionally so you know that they know your chooks routine And as Em has suggested, do you have an Omlet friend who's either near enough to pop in, or who would be happy to stay & chooksit? I'm sorry I'm too far away.......and I don't think my 14 would travel that far happily !! Sha x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyhunnypie Posted September 8, 2009 Author Share Posted September 8, 2009 Yes can put ad up in the vets & also the food suppliers have a notice board. We might prefer a more mature person really. When we have pet sat as kids, we were so particular, as it would be an embarrassment to not carry out a job properly - plus we love animals & it was a pleasure. What's a bit of poo when you have a pair of thick marigolds? Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
