I'm a bad chicken mom...

[Minflick]

I didn't go out and clean the coop when the rain was pouring down, and I feel bad about that. It's messy in there, and I really need to get to it. BUT, last week, my DH fainted on Wednesday night (major health issues and he refuses to live the diet appropriate to them) and went into the ER on Thursday, and he's still in the hospital now. And I'm so, so, tired. I've taken days off work.

I'm cleaning up the house, with help from 2 of my daughters (serious help, and I'm grateful) and I'm coming to realize the depth of DH's hoarding and other mental issues. I'll get it all cleaned up for Christmas, but as soon as he comes home, he'll start pigging it up again. Coming home from the hospital yesterday, I was so tired I was having trouble staying awake while driving our mountain roads. That was alarming, and I get to do it all again tomorrow. I have no energy to decorate for Christmas. I'll be lucky if I get the gifts wrapped. I'll keep cleaning until I'm 'happy' with the result, but it's a depressing thing to do, because it's endless. Which saddens me more.

And my beautiful chickens come in last, and I feel guilty. That big rain storm sent a lot of rain in the 'dry' side of the coop, and I think my fastest way to deal with it is to dump a LOT of shavings in there... I need to extend their roof out a lot further on both sides, and that's going to have to wait until next month.

Sigh.

 

[sourland]

Take care of yourself! Sounds as if you have good daughters - have a Merry Christmas, and again be good to yourself.

 

[seminolewind]

I didn't go out and clean the coop when the rain was pouring down, and I feel bad about that. It's messy in there, and I really need to get to it. BUT, last week, my DH fainted on Wednesday night (major health issues and he refuses to live the diet appropriate to them) and went into the ER on Thursday, and he's still in the hospital now. And I'm so, so, tired. I've taken days off work.

I'm cleaning up the house, with help from 2 of my daughters (serious help, and I'm grateful) and I'm coming to realize the depth of DH's hoarding and other mental issues. I'll get it all cleaned up for Christmas, but as soon as he comes home, he'll start pigging it up again. Coming home from the hospital yesterday, I was so tired I was having trouble staying awake while driving our mountain roads. That was alarming, and I get to do it all again tomorrow. I have no energy to decorate for Christmas. I'll be lucky if I get the gifts wrapped. I'll keep cleaning until I'm 'happy' with the result, but it's a depressing thing to do, because it's endless. Which saddens me more.

And my beautiful chickens come in last, and I feel guilty. That big rain storm sent a lot of rain in the 'dry' side of the coop, and I think my fastest way to deal with it is to dump a LOT of shavings in there... I need to extend their roof out a lot further on both sides, and that's going to have to wait until next month.

Sigh.

There's always something to feel guilty about. Throw them a treat. They'll be happy and not even remember that you didn't clean the coop.

 

[N F C]

Sounds like you have a lot to deal with all at once. Be good to yourself and deal with whatever is most pressing first and the rest can wait or be handled a little bit at a time. Take help where you can get it, if your daughters or anyone else wants to lend a hand, let them. Get some rest and make time for yourself.

 

[pennyevans]

I have been in similar situations. Just clean the coop ASAP and your chickens will be okay. Make sure they can get clean water and food at all times and they will be okay. If you have a few minutes let them free range with supervision.

 

[Minflick]

Today, I cleaned out the nesting boxes they'd been sleeping in, and remounted the roost so it's higher enough than the nesting boxes that they should only go in the boxes for their purpose - and SOMEBODY DID. I don't know when it got laid, or who did it, because I haven't looked back there in days because I knew it was filthy and I felt really guilty... So, when it warmed up enough for me to go out there early afternoon, I scraped out the boxes and the yuck and found a lovely warm beige egg - warm in color, not in temp. I doubt the coop was much over 40, as the box side of the coop is shady even now, and it was 28.8 at 9 this morning when I checked. I refilled the feeder - it was running low, but it wasn't empty, so I think it lasts 3 full weeks when filled with crumble. I refilled it with pellets, (since that's what I had on hand) and I'll see how long that can last me.

I'll clean the coop tomorrow, as my back is over the stooping involved in what I did today... I need to change up the watering cups. They persist in tilting and leaking, making my coop floor quite the mess. I may just move the whole assemblage out into the run and be done with it, because I'm tired of the mess it makes on the floor.

Melinda

 

[seminolewind]

Feel better now?

 

[Minflick]

MUCH!

I was truly afraid I'd let their feeder run empty and was scattering a large handful of feed out every morning. I felt bad about the mess in the coop, and awful about the state of the nesting boxes. I'm still not happy that the floor of the coop is the wreck it is, but, I think I felt the worst about the potentially empty feeder. Between DH being in the hospital and all the logistic of dealing with that (plus the emotions) I just never got IN the coop for an awfully long time. Nice to know how long the feeder will feed them, though!

I'll clean the floor of the coop either tomorrow morning before work, or Saturday before work.

 

[nayeli]

Yikes! I'm sorry your DH is in the hospital but from your post it is his own fault and he has issues he needs to work on (the eating AND the hoarding). I'm sorry but him not eating healthy isn't fair to you nor is his hoarding and you should tell him that. I'm not for forcing someone to change but when you live with someone comprimises need to be made... maybe you have one room you can give him that is just his for his junk and the door stays closed on! If it doesn't fit too bad! You could also change your diet along with him, spouses often eat like their partners, I know its hard for me to be healthy when my spouse is eating junk (not blaming you at all just trying to help!).

I'm sorry your going through so much!

 

[Minflick]

It's super frustrating, as you can imagine! He had a check up at his gp today, and he's having an allergic reaction to one of his new meds.... and a HUGE pity party because he feels crummy. I've given up arguing with him. It's so much work to 'out word' him, and he gets so angry and lashes out to brutally (words, not hands) and then he will go days in not talking to me. Literally days. I love him, but I don't like him much these days. It helps that I can talk to our kids a bit about it (they're grown), and my best friends knows most of it.

Sigh. On the brighter side, I'm up to 6 eggs from my girls. I'd say they're medium sized. I need to feed them more bugs, my yolks are store pale!