The Cube needs a really good scrubbing.
Until the trees were recently pruned, the branches overhung it, and we've ended up with creeping green whatever all over it. Normally this doesn't happen, as I give (gave) the Cube a good scrub and jet wash every 4-6 weeks.
During the winter, this didn't happen. It was partially a feature of the weather, and the outside tap being turned off completely. It was partially a feature of having 8 hens, and those who were laying taking all day to do so - so it was hard to find a big enough window to get the cube dismantled, scrubbed, dried and reassembled. It was partially a feature of laziness.
I've been waiting for a sunny day...a sunny day when I am not working... and we just haven't had one. Today was dryish, and not too cold, so I took a bucket of warm water and started scrubbing the outside. I took Fairy Liquid with me, but wasn't able to use it because the Girls were greedily drinking the discharged water.
Having got a lot of the greeny stuff off, I decided I might as well do the roosting bars and the poo trays. A couple more partial buckets of water later, and I thought I'd finish these off and then jetwash everything. DH mentioned the other day that he had turned the garden tap back on.
I carried all the removable bits over to the patio, put some Virkon in a bucket of water and gave them a final scrub. I then went to get out the pressure washer, found the key to unlock the kitchen window to pass the plug through, connected it all up, and got ready to pressure rinse the bits. Nothing.
There was a stop thingy on the hose. I went back to the tap, which had a multi way thingy on it. I couldn't work out what was on or off, so I unscrewed it. I was left with the tap and no water. I tried it both ways - righty tighty and loosey lefty. No water.
In the kitchen, I looked at the amazing array of pipes under the sink (it comes of having a meter, and a water softener, and not having the water softener connected to the outside tap nor the dishwasher. And having 3 kitchen taps.
Anyway, it was fairly easy to find the pipe to the outside. It was partially on. Or partially off. I turned it one way, all the way, and went outside. Nothing. I turned it the other way, all the way, and went outside. Nothing.
Back inside, we now had a steady drip, not in a good way. I phoned DH. He suggested I used the water butt.
So, I found some hose to connect the water butt to the pressure washer, and I rinsed everything. Then I sprayed everything with Poultry Shield.
By now, it was starting to get a bit chilly. I couldn't get the hose to the pressure washer to reach to the Cube, so I thought I would go and scrub the inside with Virkon. My thinking was that by the time I was done, DH would be home and all would be fixed. More hot water. And then I found Milly and Lily (who has already laid an egg this morning) sitting in the nest box.
So I've come inside to write this, while I'm waiting for her to Get On With It. Then perhaps I can get scrubbing.
Although it is a bit chilly now...
Until the trees were recently pruned, the branches overhung it, and we've ended up with creeping green whatever all over it. Normally this doesn't happen, as I give (gave) the Cube a good scrub and jet wash every 4-6 weeks.
During the winter, this didn't happen. It was partially a feature of the weather, and the outside tap being turned off completely. It was partially a feature of having 8 hens, and those who were laying taking all day to do so - so it was hard to find a big enough window to get the cube dismantled, scrubbed, dried and reassembled. It was partially a feature of laziness.
I've been waiting for a sunny day...a sunny day when I am not working... and we just haven't had one. Today was dryish, and not too cold, so I took a bucket of warm water and started scrubbing the outside. I took Fairy Liquid with me, but wasn't able to use it because the Girls were greedily drinking the discharged water.
Having got a lot of the greeny stuff off, I decided I might as well do the roosting bars and the poo trays. A couple more partial buckets of water later, and I thought I'd finish these off and then jetwash everything. DH mentioned the other day that he had turned the garden tap back on.
I carried all the removable bits over to the patio, put some Virkon in a bucket of water and gave them a final scrub. I then went to get out the pressure washer, found the key to unlock the kitchen window to pass the plug through, connected it all up, and got ready to pressure rinse the bits. Nothing.
There was a stop thingy on the hose. I went back to the tap, which had a multi way thingy on it. I couldn't work out what was on or off, so I unscrewed it. I was left with the tap and no water. I tried it both ways - righty tighty and loosey lefty. No water.
In the kitchen, I looked at the amazing array of pipes under the sink (it comes of having a meter, and a water softener, and not having the water softener connected to the outside tap nor the dishwasher. And having 3 kitchen taps.
Anyway, it was fairly easy to find the pipe to the outside. It was partially on. Or partially off. I turned it one way, all the way, and went outside. Nothing. I turned it the other way, all the way, and went outside. Nothing.
Back inside, we now had a steady drip, not in a good way. I phoned DH. He suggested I used the water butt.
So, I found some hose to connect the water butt to the pressure washer, and I rinsed everything. Then I sprayed everything with Poultry Shield.
By now, it was starting to get a bit chilly. I couldn't get the hose to the pressure washer to reach to the Cube, so I thought I would go and scrub the inside with Virkon. My thinking was that by the time I was done, DH would be home and all would be fixed. More hot water. And then I found Milly and Lily (who has already laid an egg this morning) sitting in the nest box.
So I've come inside to write this, while I'm waiting for her to Get On With It. Then perhaps I can get scrubbing.
Although it is a bit chilly now...
