My chickens are the happiest birds I know.  They run and flap their wings and cluck, cluck, cluck when I come out the the chicken tractor.

Before we left on our ten day trip, I noticed that the coop was getting “odoriferous”.  It smelled BAD.  I knew it needed cleaning.  The chickens knew it needed cleaning.  I was flat out out of time to do the cleaning so it remained un-done.

I have a sensitive nose.  I can smell things that my husband cannot.  He could not smell the chickens before we left for our trip but when we got home, he COULD smell the chickens.  I HAD to clean that coop.

Today was the day.

Gross.

I worked on the tractor for over an hour. I worked with a shovel.  I worked with the hose.  I worked with my bare hands (icky).  I scrubbed, hacked and sprayed that tractor/coop until it was pristine.

It looked great!  It smelled great!  The chickens are happy again!  They did not like it all dirty.  I sprayed for mites and put fresh bedding in the nesting boxes.  They had to come up and supervise this~the bedding must be Just Right for their birdie bottoms to lay the eggs.  Fussy chickens.

They watched as I cleaned out their food tray.  Taste tested the new food, grit and oyster shell.  Tested the fresh water~I put  ACV (apple cider vinegar) in the water~that is a natural de wormer for chickens,  climbed the ladder to the roosting area and promptly pooped.  ARGH!

Oh well… it was clean, pristine even, for 3-5 minutes.  The chickens were getting disgruntled about the condition of their living quarters but they are now doing their chicken dance.  They are happy!

Let’s hear it for happy chickens!