Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Spring Cleaning


It's that time of the year...the weather's right and the chickens are excited:

It's time to clean out the chicken coop:

While the coop has been cleaned out many times over the last year, this is the first intensive, top-to-bottom, hosed-out, everything-scrubbed cleaning that it has received since it was finished being built last April.

A thorough cleaning was desperately needed:

There were many cobwebs:

Dust and feathers:

All the nooks and crannies were needing to be swept out:

So, I took out the windows and made them sparkling again:

I washed and scrubbed their roost:

Boppity had delayed her morning egg-laying and was now quite agitated that brooms and shovels were disturbing her when she had an egg to lay:

Dottie, also on a mission to lay, had to thoroughly inspect the out-going shavings on her way into the coop:

Typical Dot: always thinking the grass is greener over in somebody else's nest box:

Do you notice anything about this picture? Look closely:

How about now? Um, yes...there's Dottie! She was quite certain that Boppity's nest box was better than hers and just pushed her way right in:

The funny thing is, Boppity let her in! Normally, there would have been a tremendous amount of outraged chicken chatter:

Who knows what goes on in this girl's mind?:

Regardless, Boppity had had enough of the nonsense and left the coop in a huff:

Dottie was tickled to win. She never wins:

Now, a bit of time had passed and I noticed it had gotten awfully quiet. Ten of my eleven chickens had all disappeared. I came upon this disturbing scene up by the corner of the house:

It looks like a bunch of dead chickens, doesn't it? Not to worry, they're simply reveling in a barkdust dust bath. Clearly I was the only one doing any work today.

Meanwhile...back at the coop...Dot decided she didn't want that other nest box after all:

Reggie and Pete came by for a look-see:

They gave the coop a thorough once-over and declared it sorely lacking in anything good to eat:

So, there was nothing left to do but start putting things back together. The roost was replaced and dusted with a layer of DE (diatomaceous earth) to prevent mites, reduce flies and act as a chicken poop drying agent:

The nest boxes had been scrubbed, DE sprinkled here, too, and fresh shavings put in:

Oyster shell and grit bowls were scrubbed and refilled:

The feeder and waterer were washed thoroughly:

Everything was sparkling clean and ready for chickens again:

There was some poultry suspicion upon returning to the coop:

I guess chickens don't hold cleanliness as high as I do.

19 comments:

  1. Yesterday I had garden envy, today it's chicken coop envy. Yours is simply the best. Now if Blogger would just invent a gadget for smell-o-vision, we could all share in your olfactory experience.

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  2. Wowsers, what a great chicken mama you are. Such a thorough coop cleaning! Looks really great, even if the chickies didn't appreciate it!

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  3. Okay. That first picture cracked me up. Nobody can say that you arent prepared.

    But really, I know that coop can be dusty, especially when you start moving stuff around. Note that I said when YOU move stuff around. When you changed the shavings in the coop last time I was there...I did a good job of keeping you company. :) The coop looks great. Sparkly clean!

    Another cool place for Pete and Reggie to explore. That must have been fun for them. Even if they didnt find any tasty treats.

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  4. That is one nice coop! What lucky chickens. And now it is all clean. Woo hoo.

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  5. I'm glad to get a Dot update, been wondering what she was up to.

    You probably know this, but Mike and I learned the hard way, don't let the goats get into the chicken feed, poisonous to goats. We now feed our chickens, goat feed, and the chickens get along fine.

    Looks like you did a good job cleaning the coop.

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  6. Gosh, your coop is so pretty! Your chickens are so funny! I really need to do this too sometime soon.

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  7. That first picture reminded me of...me! I use that multi-purpose bandana too! The dust from the coop can really bother my allergies. I usually clean my hen house out thoroughly each Spring. I just haven't gotten around to it yet this year. You are an inspiration.

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  8. I just can't get over Dottie! She is the most unusual, weird, pitiful, adorable chicken I've ever seen. Couldn't you just imagine a short French film with her starring in it?
    Beautiful job cleaning the coop, Daniella. Looks super, just like your room used to look when you were growing up.............

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  9. I can't stop chuckling at the first picture. You are truly set in the latest protective fashion mode for cleaning out chicken coops. I'm sure the neighbors must be jealous.

    Enough chuckling . . . you've done a splendid job in keeping those beautiful hens clean and safe.

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  10. This is an excellent post to show just how much work a coop can be so some of us on the fence about a chickens and their coop. We have just been given a chance to really understand the work that chickens require. Pondering!

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  11. We could have lunch in there Danni!!!
    That dead chicken look is a killer!!
    Great work...wish I had a coop to clean!

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  12. You're hired. When will you be coming my way again? The chickens are geting impatient.

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  13. You have so many characters living there with you. :o))

    You certainly had me with that dead chicken shot. Whoa! Glad to hear they were just getting gussied up for their new & improved home.

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  14. Love the first picture - you look like a bandito!

    We've just moved our chickens outside as a transition to moving to our new place so that we can clean out the coop area of the shed. Lots of fun.

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  15. Do you hire by the hour or the day? I suppose I'd have to pay for your plane flight too. Good grief girl. That is one clean chicken coop. We clean ours but not like that.
    I did learn something about using D.E. I'm going to run that by the Prospector.
    Dottie is too much. What a crazy chicken she is..., and your "boneless chicken farm" chickens all dusting in the bark is really a funny photo.
    This was a great post!!

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  16. Just found you via BooneDocksWilcox. I grew up with a small flock, but now live in a chicken-unfriendly city. I'll be happy to stop by for a chicken fix once in a while!

    Your coop is now officially cleaner than my house. Even dirty, that sure is one purdy chicken coop.

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  17. Well, now that it's done, when are you coming to clean my coop?
    I think you're the best chicken mom in existence. I don't do nearly the job that you do each spring.
    Happy, happy chickens!

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