Wednesday, May 9, 2012

The Chicken Wrangler

Rooster boy, staring straight into the camera.

  Yesterday was a busy beautiful outside day.  Temps never got above 72, the skies were sunny and bright. I got my old lazy butt out there about 10 o'clock and started spring cleaning the hen house. I raked all the straw out, took the feeder and water bowl and laying box out.   Took an old broom and swept down all the cobwebs from the walls and ceiling,  Then I drug the hose over and started spraying out the inside, poured half a gallon of white vinegar onto the floor and started scrubbing down the floor, roost, and whatever else needed it. It was a nasty job that took about 3 hours, start to finish, including drying time. Then I went out into the chicken run yard and started digging up some of the wetter places out there and spreading soil around. I brought out the bag of pine shavings I was using in the little pen and spread some of those on the floor of the henhouse and on the ground outside. They are a great deodorizing absorbent material. .  Then, I went to the other side of the run and cleaned out the little cubbyhole that the big chickens will be sleeping in for a couple of days, until everybody gets used to each other, and put in clean pine as well as some straw.  I pulled the fence divider across the middle of the run and went in the house to start bringing the chicks out.

  That was fun.

  I decided that using a cat carrier would be an easy way to transport them by myself, and so I brought one ion and started catching chicks. That was an ordeal, as when I opened the top of the pen to get them out, I caught one and picked him up, put him in the carrier...and 2 of them flew out into the room, screaming their bloody heads off.  LOL So, I had to catch them and that took another half an hour, as I had left the closet door open and one of the Orpingtons headed straight in there.

 Understand this: it's not your ordinary closet.  It's a pantry/Fibber McGee's closet.  Plenty of places for a frightened chick to snuggle into and try to hide.

  I finally had them all out into the great outdoors. Actually I put them into the coop, where they stayed most of the day...finally venturing out near evening. They would come to the door and look out, but not come down the ramp.  I tried to entice them with some greens and seed sprinkled at the doorway and at the bottom of the ramp, but they were having none of it. Finally I just left them alone and they came out on their own.

  This morning I went out and unlocked the door to the coop and within minutes they were out scratching in the dirt.  So far, so good.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  I planted the Christmas Pole Lima beans yesterday too.  At the base of the teepee trellises.  Last night, while I was gone to a birthday meeting, himself planted butternut squash. Today, I am going to plant the salad bed. And maybe mow some more. Looks like himself is going to be working OT again this Friday, so more of this stuff is falling on me. It's okay...

  It's a cool morning today, about 58 degrees.  Supposed to warm up and not rain,. so that's a blessing. Lots to do and I am stalling to not get going, lol.  Think I'll run out to the garden and snip some chives and some kale and come in and have some scrambled eggs before I get too busy and don't eat. It's 10 AM already, and I've wasted about enough time.  :)  

  Everyone --have a great day. Go easy. Have some fun.  Look for the beauty in your world.


  I'm gonna go fill some bird feeders!!



Namaste.

7 comments:

Mariodacatsmom said...

You are making me lonesome for the country now. I had lots of relatives that were farmers, so know about hen houses. They are a lot of work, but you did a good job and overall it will be better for the chickens.

Akannie said...

Yes...anytime we move new chickens into the flock, we always scrub everything down and clean up extra good. Don't want any bugs getting transferred from one batch to the next! You can only do so much, but I really try to do it.
Chickens (and I love 'em!!) are really nasty dirty critters...

Beth said...

You have worn me out Annie. That was a lot of work!!

the wild magnolia said...

Bless my soul, you do a fine post. I love the little ladies. I know they appreciate a clean home.

Happy everything.

DJan said...

Whoof! That was a LOT of work! I could almost see those little chicks in my mind's eye, peeking out and wondering about that big old world out there! :-)

Cloudia said...

you are a one woman factory farm!


Warm Aloha from Honolulu
Comfort Spiral

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Practical Parsimony said...

Maybe I am glad I don't have a hen house since Rubbermaid boxes are easier to clean out!