Cleaning Day

Chickens stink.  I knew this going in, but the older they get, they get smellier faster than ever. 

Two weekends ago was the first time I cleaned out the new growout box.   Two weekends ago?  Why am I only telling you about it now?  I'm lazy and blog updates don't always rate high on the weekend to do list.  In fact, I'm writing this about an hour and a half past my bedtime.  But my co-workers  keep harassing me about updates (especially the Office Skeptic, who doesn't even read these), so here they are.

Anyway, it was definitely needed.  It was quite the production to move all the chickens out of the box.  My intent was to let them outside to "graze" in the area where I thought there coop may go (more on that later).  I threw some corn out there for them to peck at while their house was being cleaned. 


Hell no, we won't go!



Nope.  They wanted nothing to do with being outside - at least the ones that I could get out there.

For the ones I did get outside, they just huddled in a corner next to the house.  The gray turken did try to venture out a little bit.  He moved about a foot away from the rest so he could hide behind a shovel.  Whatever...weird bird.



 

Brrr, its cold out here,
there must be some Toros in the atmosphere.

But being as it was February in MN, it was cold and a little windy outside.  The birds have been spoiled for quite some time in there draft free and heat lamp heated growing box.  So I could understand why they were hesitant to start exploring the yard just yet.

 




Its nicer over here out of the wind.

 

As a side note (and again, this is two weeks delayed), cleaning day was before the last snowstorm.  So there was bare actual grass and leaves on the ground.

So back to my point.  Chickens stink and cleaning the box was not pleasant.  I filled a 50 gallon lawn and leaf bag with shavings/poop.  This will be used in the spring to help fertilize the gardens.  But dang, that was heavy - much heavier than when the bag is full of leaves.