Barns, coops & pastures
Farm, horse & chicken sitting in Northern Colorado
Finding someone who'll feed a cat is easy. Finding someone who will break ice off a water tank at 6am in January, notice that the bay mare didn't finish her grain, and count the hens before closing the coop is a different search entirely.
I've done barn chores for over a decade around Fort Collins, Loveland, Laporte, Bellvue, Masonville, Wellington, Berthoud and Severance — horses, chickens, ducks, goats, sheep, donkeys, mules, pigs and the occasional alpaca.
Horses
- Hay and grain by your measurements, including soaked feed, mashes and senior feeds
- Supplements and medications, oral or top-dressed
- Turnout and bring-in, blankets on and off with the weather
- Stalls mucked, shavings added, aisles swept
- Water tanks and automatic waterers checked, scrubbed and de-iced in winter
- Fly masks, hoof picking, basic wound checks and cold hosing on instruction
- A daily read on attitude, appetite, manure and any sign of colic or lameness
Chickens, ducks & other poultry
- Morning open and evening close-up, with a headcount both times
- Feed and grit topped off, waterers cleaned and thawed
- Eggs collected daily and stored the way you prefer
- Coop and run spot-cleaned; deep bedding turned on longer stays
- Predator check — latches, fencing, digging, hawk cover
- A note on anyone limping, molting hard, egg-bound or getting picked on
Goats, sheep, donkeys, mules & pigs
- Hay, pellets and minerals as directed; hay feeders refilled
- Headcounts at every visit, with fence and gate checks
- Water tanks filled and cleaned
- Hoof and coat glances for obvious problems
- Pens and shelters cleaned; bedding refreshed
- Companion animals kept together — nobody gets isolated on my watch
Colorado weather makes the difference
The reason farm sitting costs more than a house-cat visit is that the weather here is a participant. A cold front can drop forty degrees in an afternoon; tanks freeze, blankets go on, and animals eat more hay to stay warm. In July it's shade, water volume, and getting chores done before the heat sets in. Hailstorms mean checking on birds and turnout shelters afterward.
I'd rather show up twice on a bad-weather day than assume things held. Tell me your worst-case plans at the meet-and-greet — who to call for the vet, where the generator is, which neighbor has a tractor — and I'll follow them.
What I need to know before you leave
- Feed amounts and schedule, written down, per animal
- Vet and farrier names and numbers, plus an after-hours emergency clinic
- Where hay, grain, meds and tools live, and what I'm allowed to use
- Which animals do not get along, and who can be turned out together
- Your comfort level on decisions if I can't reach you
Frequently asked questions
How far out will you drive for barn chores?
Regularly out to Laporte, Bellvue, Masonville, Wellington, Berthoud, Windsor and Severance. Farther is negotiable — mileage may factor into the quote.
Can you do twice-daily chores?
Yes, and for horses I usually recommend it. Morning and evening chores keep feeding on schedule and catch problems within hours instead of a day.
What if a horse colics or an animal is injured?
I call you immediately and your vet right after, following whatever authorization you've given me. I'd rather make a call you didn't need than wait to be sure.
Do you sit for farms with house pets too?
Almost always — the dogs, cats and barn cats come with the property. It's all one stay.
Let's get your dates on the calendar
Call or text with your travel dates and I'll usually reply the same day with an honest quote — no apps, no accounts, no booking fees.
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