Historic Homestead in Rural NH

About this assignment

We're looking for someone dependable, who wouldn't mind sending us pictures and updates to keep our minds at ease. We have farm animals (chickens, ducks and sheep) but their care is fool proof! We probably average about 15-30 min/day on care for all the animals, depending on how much time you choose to just sit and watch their antics. The ducks especially are quite a riot.

What responsibilities are required of the house sitter

We have 2 affectionate cats, 4 very sweet sheep, 6 chickens and 5 ducks. Oh, and 1 fish! Not sure you can manage taking care of sheep? Not to worry! They're akin to outdoor cats, just larger and wooley-er. They need to be fed hay and given water once a day. (They're very friendly though, so if you have the extra time, they'd also be happy to have some company.) The birds are currently free range, so we let them out of the coop in the morning, and back in at night. But we're currently working on building them a run, which would make their care even less hands on, just food and water fill ups. Don't forget some occasional cuddles for the cats too :)

What are the good features of the property and location

Just up the road from us is a nice loop trail to a waterfall, called Porcupine Falls. Nearby you'll find tons of hiking trails, rock climbing, rail trails, swimming holes, and all sorts of outdoor recreation possibilities. We're 10 minutes outside of Keene, where you will find plenty of coffee shops, restaurants and other cultural festivities. The Monadnock region is known for its picturesque quaint New England villages. Mountains, beaches and cities can all be visited with a day trip from our home.

This would be an especially great fit for families, as we have two small kids ourselves. Egg hunts in the morning, sheep hugs, cat cuddles; it's a great place for Littles to explore!

What does the house sitter need to consider before applying for this assignment

We need to bring a bucket of water out to the sheep and birds once a day. During winter, they're housed up on a small hill about 500 feet from the house, where we fill up their 5 gallon water bucket. That is the extent though! Other than that, they're really easy to manage, and even someone with no experience in farm animals would be absolutely fine. We can leave detailed instructions, or welcome someone to stay here a day or two before our travel dates, in order to orient them better.

Sitters are welcome to anything in the kitchen, just letting us know if anything runs out so we can restock, as needed. We have kayaks, bikes and other outdoor gear to share. We want this to feel like your home away from home!

We're focused on help for our December dates, which are quickly approaching. Any other dates are totally flexible though and we're just looking to get away for awhile, so let us know what works for you.

Can I bring my own pets?

Yes
Restrictions: We'd welcome a well-behaved, calm dog that will promise not to chase the chickens or eat the cats (or vise versa). The cats have been pretty good with dogs before.

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