Sunday, August 28, 2016

Cleaning for Clucks

There are people, people who love to clean their homes.  Putting elbow grease into that dirty floor, dusty shelves or grimy walls.

Well, I'm not one of them.

But... I enjoy cleaning the donkey barn and chicken coop.  Any day, give me the chicken coop over dusting the house.  Go figure.

It was time for a coop clean last week.  And I recorded the process.  Just for you.

Step 1.
Remove the 2-footed and 4-legged beasts from the vicinity.  Sometimes helpers can be a little too helpful.
Scoot, scoot, scoot, everyone out!


Step 2.
Empty the wheelbarrow of extraneous matter, ahem, you know, donkey nuggets.


Step 3.
Remove feeder, waterer, grit pan, and wood blocks from the coop floor.


Step 4.
Get to work removing the used shavings.  Some folks use straw, but shavings seem more labor friendly to me.  And easier for the clucks to scratch around in.  Besides, I always have them on hand for the donks, so at this abode, it just makes sense.


Step 5.
A little diatomaceous earth sprinkled around the perimeter helps fend off fleas and lice.
I always wear a mask during this step and no, you don't get a photo of that particular glamour shot.


Step 6.
My favorite step -- spreading out the new, fresh smelling shavings.  Usually the clucks assist in this step, but they deserted me on this occasion.


And there you have it.  Perhaps a 45-minute process.  Not hard.

Now I need to get the shop vac out there and remove cobwebs from coop and barn.
Ahhh, I love it!

3 comments:

  1. Those are some lucky chicks, it's hard work cleaning out a chicken coop, but you make it look effortless :)
    Well done !
    Hugs,
    ~Jo

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  2. Janet, I had rather clean out the chicken coop than dust and clean the house! Your keep your little barn and coop so clean and nice looking.

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  3. It's so satisfying when you give the coop a good clean out (not that it lasts clean for very long). You have got a lovely set-up for your chucks and everyone looks very well looked after indeed. I try to keep my coop and run as clean as I can, but at the end of the day, they are messy little critters!! I will be going on holiday in a couple of weeks and my chickens go to stay with a lady while we are away. This gives me a good chance to do a thorough clean out - while the "helpers" are not around. It will be all nice and clean and tidy for their return home and then they will take great pleasure in mucking everything up (just the way they like it). Give me coop cleaning (and garden jobs) any day - much better than housework. Kind regards, Louise, Cheshire.

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