Today we’d like to introduce you to Craig Heinen.
Hi Craig, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
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. Our family currently includes 5 ducks (Lefse, Gilly, Tanooki, Epona, and Chelan) and 1 chicken (Esty).
We got into the business of chicken and duck sitting when we realized how tough it was to find people to help watch our flock while we were away, so we knew other folks must be experiencing the same thing. We fully started operations in 2022, and we make hundreds of visits every year across the Twin Cities metro area. Over the past 3 years we have added additional coop services like cleaning, winterization, and inspections. We also offer a backyard fowl class that satisfies the permit requirements for Minneapolis and other municipalities, and we work closely with other local business like Bloomington Farm and Feed to support the larger fowl-owning community.
As for our flock, these goofballs all have distinct personalities, favorite toys & treats, and have even learned a few words. In particular, Chelan likes going “outside the big fence” and has picked up on what it means when I say “You wanna go out front?!”. We have a description of each of our ducks on the ‘Our Flock & Coop’ section of our website where we go into more detail on each of our flock members.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Education will always be a focus of ours. Many cities don’t have many (if any) requirements for owning backyard fowl, and that leads to problems like predator attacks, poor nutrition, overcrowding, illnesses/disease, and other preventable issues that can manifest in a short period of time. Part of the reason is that the cost of getting chickens and ducks can be quite low, especially compared to more traditional pets like cats and dogs. The good news is that more cities are starting to require education and permits as a part of their city codes and that does a great deal to reduce unfavorable outcomes for pets and their families.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
If you own chickens, ducks, or other birds and need someone to help care for them for a day, a week, or longer, we are here to help! We are based out of Richfield, MN and offer chicken sitting, duck sitting, and other bird/small-pet sitting services throughout the Twin Cities. We also offer a comprehensive suite of flock, coop, and yard services to ensure your birds have everything they need while you’re home or traveling. You can reach out to us by using the information on our ‘Contact Us’ page or by booking one of our services. As chicken and duck caregivers, we believe in being good stewards to animals, the earth, and to each other.
We also do ‘Duck Encounters’ in the spring and summer where we hosts groups of up to 5 people in our yard. Groups get to meet each member of our flock and learn about their habits and routines. They will get to interact and pet them (their feathers are very soft). Ducks tend to like a wide variety of bugs, worms, and garden vegetables. Our entire flock enjoys meal worms and lettuce. Lefse’s favorite treats are garden-grown cherry tomatoes, and we will have some treats on hand for you to feed them. We will also tour the coop and run along with the ducks “summer home” and forts.
Lastly, we started offering/doing a couple new things this year:
1) Backyard Chicken Keeping Classes – Minneapolis and several nearby cities require these classes as a condition of acquiring a permit. We offer ours in-person a few times a year.
2) Egg Hunt – This last spring he had our first egg hunt. One golden egg was hidden in the TC area for anyone to find. This year’s egg was hidden in Bloomington and the finders won $100 plus gifts from EggPlant Supply & Bloomington Farm & Feed. We are looking at doing another hunt soon!
What matters most to you? Why?
There are so many things that matter to us: our friends and family, our sustainability work, being part of a caring community, and (of course) our pets. If I was asked this question a year ago, I probably would have picked one of those things. However what matters most to us right now is our freedom of speech and the continuation of our democracy. The ability to feel safe in public, to think critically and to be unafraid to speak up; to be ourselves without apology or fear. The right to feel supported, loved, and accepted by our fellow humans, and the ability to hold those accountable who seek to divide and derail.
“We” is what matters most to “us”
Pricing:
- $50 – Duck Encounter
- $25/visit – Flock Sitting
Contact Info:
- Website: https://flocksittingmn.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flocksittingmn/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091379124552
