The Girls do a fantastic job of raking out our flower beds, and clearing dead or dying grass from the "lawn".
This morning, I've moved them onto fresh grass with a new flower bed (complete with handy shrub for them to sit under), and I then spent an hour or so raking up all the debris they had chucked out of the previous flower bed and grass. I'm always amazed at the quantity of stuff they manage to rook out.
It all looked neat and tidy - a rare moment with free range hens - so I went off to clean out their henhouse.
It normally takes me about 10 minutes to (a) pour the contents - newspaper, Aubiose, poo - of each poo tray into a carrier bag, (b) wipe each tray down with damp kitchen towel (c) line with fresh newspaper, sprinkle on more Aubiose, (d) wipe down the roosting bars, (e) put it all back, and (f) tie up the bag and bin it. Today it took a bit longer, as there was blood spattered around the house. Looks like someone had a small wound on a wattle or comb, and shook their head. I also took the opportunity to empty the nest boxes and refill with fresh Aubiose and some louse powder (mmm, love that smell!).
When I got back to the house, the Girls had already started excavations, and my "lawn" is littered with debris. Never mind. They are having a great time, lots of new areas to explore, worms and bugs to eat.
I'm going back out now as I want to rake through their Run and put down some Stalosan. I normally do this once a week (with a complete change every 6-8 weeks) but the weather has been appalling, and it's been two weeks now. I;m sure it won't matter...but if I let myself slacken off to 2 weeks, it'll then slip to 3....
This morning, I've moved them onto fresh grass with a new flower bed (complete with handy shrub for them to sit under), and I then spent an hour or so raking up all the debris they had chucked out of the previous flower bed and grass. I'm always amazed at the quantity of stuff they manage to rook out.
It all looked neat and tidy - a rare moment with free range hens - so I went off to clean out their henhouse.
It normally takes me about 10 minutes to (a) pour the contents - newspaper, Aubiose, poo - of each poo tray into a carrier bag, (b) wipe each tray down with damp kitchen towel (c) line with fresh newspaper, sprinkle on more Aubiose, (d) wipe down the roosting bars, (e) put it all back, and (f) tie up the bag and bin it. Today it took a bit longer, as there was blood spattered around the house. Looks like someone had a small wound on a wattle or comb, and shook their head. I also took the opportunity to empty the nest boxes and refill with fresh Aubiose and some louse powder (mmm, love that smell!).
When I got back to the house, the Girls had already started excavations, and my "lawn" is littered with debris. Never mind. They are having a great time, lots of new areas to explore, worms and bugs to eat.
I'm going back out now as I want to rake through their Run and put down some Stalosan. I normally do this once a week (with a complete change every 6-8 weeks) but the weather has been appalling, and it's been two weeks now. I;m sure it won't matter...but if I let myself slacken off to 2 weeks, it'll then slip to 3....
