The results came from Pet Sitters International’s 2016 State of the Industry Survey, and revealed a sharp increase in chicken sitting, which the organisation put down to the growing popularity of keeping chickens.

In a similar 2014 survey, just 58 per cent of PSI member pet sitters who offer livestock care said they offered care for chickens and barnyard fowl. Twenty-six per cent of sitters currently offer livestock care.

Beth Stultz, PSI’s director of marketing and education, commented: “As the backyard chicken movement continues to spread, we’ll likely see the number of pet sitters offering this service increase even more.”