Beta Beta — hiring neighbors on Papalocal is new; what you see here is real, and it's still growing.
Farm and barn sitting Beta
A neighbor feeds and waters your horses, cattle, goats and chickens and checks gates and water tanks while you're away.
- How often
- Trips
- Where the work happens
- Outdoors
- Who it suits
- Can suit a teen working alongside an adult
These open your Papalocal account. You'll be asked to log in or sign up first.
Farm sitting means someone shows up morning and evening while you're gone to feed, water and look over the animals, and to catch problems early: a stuck float valve, a gate left open, a goat with its head through the fence, a hen that isn't moving right.
Small farms and hobby homesteads in country towns rarely have a boarding kennel to call, so owners who want a weekend at a wedding or a week at the beach need someone who already knows how to walk into a barn.
A neighbor down the road is close enough to come twice a day, knows the local vet and feed store, and can get there fast if a storm knocks out power to the well pump. If no one near you lists farm sitting yet, you can post a Need on Papalocal describing your animals and your dates.
Also called: farm sitter, barn sitting, livestock sitter, someone to feed my horses while away, animal feeding while on vacation, homestead sitter.
What's usually included
- Feeding hay, grain and supplements on the owner's written schedule
- Filling and checking water troughs, buckets and heaters
- A head count and a quick look at every animal
- Collecting eggs and closing up the coop at dusk
- Walking the gates and the fence nearest the animals
- Bringing in mail and checking the house, if agreed
- A text or photo update to the owner each day
What to ask before you hire
- What does each animal eat, how much and when, written down?
- Who is the vet, and how much can the sitter approve in an emergency without reaching you?
- Which animals kick, bite, crowd gates or get out?
- Where are the shut-offs for water and power, and where is the spare hay?
- Does the job include the house and keys, or only the barn and pens?
Staying safe
- Never walk behind a horse or into a pen with a bull, ram or buck you don't know; have the owner show you how they handle each animal.
- Close every gate behind you, every time, and check latches again on the way out.
- Farm chores are often done alone, so tell someone when you'll be at the farm and when you expect to be done.
Farm and barn sitting by town
Questions people ask
How is farm sitting different from pet sitting?
The animals are bigger, the chores are heavier, and more can go wrong, like frozen water lines and loose livestock. A farm sitter should be comfortable around large animals and know the basics of handling them.
Can a teenager farm-sit?
A teen who grew up around animals can be a real help with an adult along, especially around horses and cattle. The owner and the teen's parent should both agree.
What if an animal gets sick while I'm away?
Leave your vet's number and decide ahead how much the sitter can approve without you. Some owners also leave a signed note with their vet.
How many visits a day does a farm need?
Most need at least a morning and an evening check, and some animals need more in extreme heat or cold. The owner should spell out what's normal for their place.
Thinking of offering this yourself?
- Visit once with the owner before the trip and do a full feeding together, so you learn the routine and the animals learn you.
- Ask for a feeding chart and a vet sheet taped inside the feed room.
- Price by the visit or by the day, counting the drive and the number of animals, and look at what other farm sitters in your county ask before you settle on a number.
- Owners travel around the same holidays each year, and a sitter they could count on gets asked before the next trip is even planned.
- If a teen comes along to help, an adult who knows the animals should be there too.
