About Us
Hello, we are Dana and Craig Heinen, the owners of Flock Sitting MN. We live in Richfield, Minnesota and have spent the last 10+ years helping care for chickens and ducks. We currently have 3 ducks living on our property (Lefse, Gilly, and Chelan). You can read more about them in the ‘Our Flock’ section of this site. Our ducks get to free range almost every day as long as one of us is home to supervise and make sure they stay safe. We live close to a nature reserve, so the ducks are often spotting hawks and eagles in the sky. Luckily we have a large Hackberry tree in the middle of our yard to keep them safe.
We got in the hobby/business of chicken sitting and duck sitting when we realized how tough it was to find people help watch our ducks while we were gone on vacation. In the adjacent picture we are attending a friend’s wedding in Hawaii and trying really hard to not be worried about what was going on back at home with our pets! Fortunately, we do have a few close friends and family members that have ‘passing knowledge’ of fowl care, but we know that isn’t the case for everyone, and that sometimes, that’s not enough.
Contact us:
FlockSittingMN@gmail.com
Text: 612-710-7901
Located in Richfield, MN
Stress-free vacations
We created Flock Sitting MN with the idea in mind that it had to be something we would want to use if were we going to be out of town for either a couple days or a few weeks. The services we provide and care we give follow the golden rule: treat your flock the way you’d like your flock to be treated. At the bottom of this page is a small gallery of some of our favorite pictures of our feathery friends enjoying each other’s company and playing around with us. It will give you a good sense of the fun we have together. We share this because we want you to know that we take pride in how we care for our animals, and we hope that this allows other families to relax and enjoy their time away knowing their pets are in good wings…uh, I mean hands.
FAQs and Other Tidbits
Q: What area/region do you service?
A: We are based out of Richfield, MN and service about a 15-mile radius (30-minute drive) area that encompasses most of the Twin Cities and southern suburbs. We are open to the possibility of helping people beyond that area and can work with folks on an individual basis. You can see the coverage map on our service area page.
Q: How much does flock sitting cost?
A: That depends on the size of your flock and distance from Richfield. Average cost is $15-20 for a standard visit plus any potential travel fees. We also offer any add-on services if you need them (like epsom salt baths, administering medication, etc.) which we can discuss details on an individual basis. You can see more specifics regarding costs on our pricing page.
Q: Do you care for other pets?
A: We market ourselves as ‘chicken sitters’ and ‘duck sitters’ because those, as we have found, are the toughest to find. However, if you have other low maintenance pets (like birds, hamsters, rabbits, or fish) we will happily care for them while you are away as well. We don’t do dog sitting/walking at this time. If you have a cat that needs some low maintenance care, that can be discussed.
Q: What if I experience travel delays or want to extend my trip?
A: Just let us know as soon as you are able to if there is a change to your itinerary. We will try to accommodate everything we can, but we can’t guarantee extensions in any type of blanket-fashion. We can discuss itinerary changes on an individual basis.
Q: How long do you stay during a visit?
A: A standard visit is about 15-20 minutes. Enough time to check on food/water, looks for eggs, assess your flock’s health and provide any treats that you would like us to give your birds. If you require additional time for any special needs, please let us know and we can work with you on making it happen.
Q: Do you visit every day?
A: You know your flock best, so you can choose what schedule works best for you and your birds. We can visit every day, every other day, or do a customized schedule so that you know what days we are on your property and what days we are not. Due to the nature of flock sitting, we cannot guarantee any specific time of day for our visits. However, we will work with you to accommodate any specifically requested times as best we can. We are also happy to report back to you (via text/email) any concerns or just a simple update that we visited.
Q: What do you do with the eggs you collect?
A: That’s kind of up to you. We can store them safely until your return, hand them off to a neighbor, or do (pretty much) whatever you’d like us to do with them. We can also take them with us if you don’t want to come back to an overwhelming amount of eggs.
Q: What do you do if there is an emergency?
A: We will gather your veterinarian name and contact info as well as any related information ahead of time. We are not trained in any sort of medical/vet disciplines, so we are unable to administer any emergency medical aid ourselves. However we can do the best we can to ensure your pets get the care they need while you’re away should anything unexpected occur.
Q: What about first aid?
A: For the most part we can handle basic maladies like cuts on feet, applying wound spray, and such. We wrap our ducks with gauze and give them booties when this happens. We can also add Vet Rx to their water and other routine duties that you may request. Any treatments or supplies must be provided by the owner.
Q: How do you handle biosecurity?
A: Like you, we also own fowl, so it is very important to us that we do not spread contagions to your flock, our flock, or between homes that are visited. We change our shoes/boots when we arrive on your property and/or slip on disposable booties over our footwear to reduce the spread of fecal matter and dander that can carry disease. If you and your flock have additional mitigation measures that you require, be sure to let us know and we will work with you to accommodate those additional needs.
Q: Can you help with house sitting?
A: While both of us have day jobs to tend to, we can’t offer much in terms of general house sitting, but we can lend a hand with a couple quick and simple chores like collecting mail and bringing up/down rubbish bins. We will also let you know if we see anything out of the ordinary during our visits.
Flock Resources
Whether it’s first aid, coop setups, diet restrictions, or general best practices, we use a lot of different resources to care for our flock. So we thought we would share some of the materials, reference guides, blogs, and other resources that we use to keep our flock happy and healthy!
Reference Materials:
The Ultimate Pet Duck Guidebook - This is an exhaustive encyclopedia of ailments and maladies that is one of our first places to look when we are stumped and need guidance. It’s also a great reference book for introducing new members to the flock, building an adequate structure (coop) and many other necessities that comes with fowl ownership
Backyard Chickens - This is a great forum for asking and answering questions about your flock. We’ve used it as a secondary resource before we take someone to the vet or if we are experiencing an issue that we haven’t encountered before. It’s really good for finding people that own the same breeds of fowl that you do.
Tyrant Farms - This is a resource for duck owners. Sometimes it’s just nice to see how other families do things and get a different perspective. In addition to info on ducks, they also have resources for gardening, raising geese, building coops, and much more. You can also follow them on Instagram here.
OTHER:
Diapers - We have a couple duck diapers on hand that we get from Party Fowl Pets. There are a few retailers out there, this is just where we get ours from.
Mazuri - You can find food any number of places, but the stuff we get from Mazuri is good, high-quality food. We go through Chewy to get ours ordered right to our door. By way of note, we keep our flocks on a non-layer feed. It doesn’t keep the ducks from laying eggs altogether, but it helps them from laying as often as they otherwise would which is good for long-term health.
Straw Bales - Again, you can find straw bales at many locations. Due to its proximity, we get ours from Klier’s Nursery near 60th and Nicollet in Minneapolis. We have also found plenty of goodies at Anoka Ramsey Farm & Garden, which is also where our flock came from.
Our Vet:
Dr. Keri Clarkson
Southview Animal Hospital
2000 Robert Street South
West Saint Paul, MN 55118
(651) 455-2258
Code of Ethics
We firmly believe in upholding a code of ethics and morality that promotes inclusivity, empathy, and respect for all individuals and their pets that extends to ourselves and our clients.
1. Respect for Animal Rights: We recognize that animals have the right to live free from cruelty, exploitation, neglect, and unnecessary suffering. We commit to treating animals with kindness, empathy, and respect, acknowledging their intrinsic value as sentient beings and expect the same from pet owners
2. Prevention of Cruelty: We will actively work towards preventing all forms of animal abuse, including physical, emotional, and psychological harm. We encourage education and awareness programs to promote compassionate treatment of animals and discourage any activities that may cause harm or suffering.
3. Responsible Ownership: We advocate for responsible ownership of animals, including adequate provisions for shelter, nutrition, healthcare, and appropriate social interaction. We discourage abandoning, neglecting, or breeding animals without a genuine commitment to their care and well-being.
4. Humane Treatment: In all circumstances, we will strive to ensure the humane treatment of animals. This encompasses the avoidance of unnecessary pain, suffering, or distress during any activities involving animals.
5. Basic Human Decency: We foster relationships built upon a foundation of respect, diversity, and inclusivity. As such, we have a zero-tolerance policy towards hate and intolerance. We reserve the right to deny service to individuals and households that disseminate, express, or display symbols, messages, and propaganda related to Nazism, fascism, bigotry, nationalism, or any other hate-based organizations and communities.
Flock Sitting MN reserves the right to deny service to any individual or household for violating any of the aforementioned components of our Code of Ethics
Duck Appreciation Gallery
