If any of you guys are here reading up on my backyard chicken flock and trying to decide if you should jump in to the hobby, remember this:
Chickens crap.
A lot.
Therefore, I have figured out a couple of things to make my life with chicks easier. No, I still don't know anything about making life any simpler around those "other" chicks. Someone else will have to write that primer. Anyways, here is what I know.
1. If the chickens have the free run of your yard, have some chicken shoes. Something that can you can hose off before wearing them to the elementary school PTA meeting. Crocs or rubber soled sandals work nicely. Being the guy with chickens in the neighborhood is OK, maybe even sort of cool. But YOU DO NOT WANT to be that guy with chicken crap smelling feet.
2. A power washer is the backyard chicken farmer's best friend. If your hen house and coop gets a good power washing once in a while, the neighborhood may thank you. Plus, if the birds can get within 100 feet of your concrete patio or wooden deck then you will find out that concrete is to chickens as litter box is to house cats. You will be hosing your patio off frequently, might as well have some power assist.
3. And finally, when cleaning the patio and deck it is always good to have the help of more than one friend. If your power washer is your BFF, then be sure and make pals with some goggles. And a face shield. Wet, flying chicken crap evidently has a mind of it's own. Also, it flies around really good.
And it tastes like shit.
Yeah, now we BOTH know.
So now that you know everything there is to know about cleaning chicken poop, please excuse me. I have a date with my toothbrush.
12 years ago
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4 comments:
There is some kind of pending litigation in my county over some fella trying to keep chickens in a "No livestock" zoned area. I think he actually won.
Jokes on him though...power washers are banned due to the um...drought?
The term chicken shoes cracks me up. I can certainly see the need for them though.
Oh, I remember free range chickens well. My favorite thing about summer is going barefoot,outside. I like to do it in the house all year. When I was a youngster, many of my relatives had these same types of Chickens. I still remember how it feels when you accidentally step on something that oozes between your toes. Stepping only on the tuffs of grass does not help.
When we were lucky enough to live in a rented house with a barnyard, we had chickens, too. But the stayed near the barn, inside the fence.
I have thought about having a few chickens here, now that I've moved back to the "county" and have room but they will definitely have a top on their yard.
Mama Bear
Mike, I must thank you for taking that bullet (tastes like crap) for the rest of us.... AtHomeDaddy is truly a delivery for useful Public Service Announcements!!
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