Today’s Run:  Rest Day?

I cleaned out the Chicken Coop today.  Thoroughly.

Last night we went to Lowe’s and purchased some plastic chicken wire and some stakes.  I made a pen from those materials last night in which to place my hens this morning while I cleaned.  Worked like a charm.

I learned the hard way that chickens do not like to have hose water sprayed at them and on them.  You have heard the expression, “Madder than a wet hen?”, well, it is true.  They were very unhappy chickens.  Beyond unhappy~they were royally P.O.’d!!!  Unhappy chickens are not very consistent when you want them to lay every day so I devised this idea to create a pen.

Getting the chickens out of their tractor (I have a tractor for my hens instead of the traditional coop) was a trick.  I finally resorted to bribery with their favorite treat.  Meal Worms.  Ugh.  Those things make me shiver but they make the chickens dance.  They love them!  So, I broke out the worms.  My husband helped me and we snagged the hens one at a time.

We now have a sparkly clean chicken tractor and five disgruntled hens. The biggest problem facing them now is the heat.  Right now it is 95 F. and they are panting because of the heat.  I have tried a box fan but they are afraid of the fan.  I tried placing a pan of cool water out for them but they are afraid of the water.  I feel bad for them but there really is not much else I can do.  I guess they do not call them chickens for nothing!