Homestead Sitter?

[Iceblink]

What do you all who have animals that need to be milked do when you go on vacation?

I have had a pet-sitter take care of my chickens, but I only had three and they were all very nice.

I am thinking about getting goats, but we do travel a lot, I don't want to be stuck at home all the time.

And if you do get 'homestead sitters' do you ask them to care for your garden, do you ask them to do anything with the milk, ect?

Our trips are frequent and short, otherwise I could maybe plan ahead and 'dry-up' my does, but the whole point of me getting goats is milk.

On another thought, does anybody know of 'homestead swapping?' I have heard of house swapping if you want to go on vacation somewhere, I wonder if it would work for farms? :/

 

[inchworm]

I recommend asking around in the homeschooling community for a homestead sitter. The families have flexible hours and often have homestead experience.

Inchworm

 

[nightshade]

try your local 4 h they also make good places to find farm sitters.

 

[freemotion]

I finally found my solution. This may or may not work for you. There is a pizza place just down the road and the owners are Syrian and Greek. The husband (Syrian) really values REAL food and is willing to learn to milk so he can have all the milk when I go away! I will give him more milk and eggs throughout the year so he will maybe throw some food to the other critters, my set up is super-simplified when I go away. For example, bigger water tubs in summer, hanging feeders made from 5-gallon pails for the birds, etc. And sometimes, depending on who is taking care of things, I pay a trusted vet tech to come in and clean the stall and eyeball everyone for me. So the work is spread around, some is paid and some is traded. It also gives me someone to fall back on if one of them gets sick or something.

So find an "ethnic" person and ask if they know someone. I find that people from certain countries are much more in touch with their food and not afraid to touch their food! And are very aware of the poor quality of food in this country.

I just found the plans for a sort of milking "machine" for a goat made with a sprayer (like from a cleaning bottle, but better, industrial strenghth) and some 1/4" tubing from an aquarium place, and a large syringe, just the outer part. I am going to make one, anyone can milk using this thing. This will insure that no one mangles my poor little goat in a few days' time! I'll try to find the link for you.

Here it is: http://www.dairygoatjournal.com/issues/85/85-4/Hughlene_Dunn.html

 

[Iceblink]

Free- that is awesome! I love it!

Thanks for all the suggetions guys.