100 Broilers and Fermented Feed Project

[aoxa]

Good looking group of kids.

I thought about it all weekend and I don't think that a kid would work out. It's too strenuous and too demanding . It's not an easy job at all. When it comes to cleaning out my chickens coops, chicken house and stalls, I want their area to be spotless or close to it. I don't want poop anywhere on the walls or the roost. I don't want poop in the nesting boxes, so the bedding has to be taken out and replaced. I want my feeders and waterers exceptionally clean. I want the waterers so clean that I would want to drink out of it.

When caring for my animals, I don't think it's too much to ask someone to do since they are getting paid to do it. Some people look at it and say, "It's just an animal." And that's why it's probably not important to others but it's VERY important to me.

I only thoroughly clean my waterers quarterly or if needed. I rinse them free of poop and debris every time, but no soap.

But it doesn't matter. If you pay the kid to do something, he should do it the way you want him to if it is in his abilities.

No one does it the way I do it either.. It's hard to get people to do it just right. We had my in-laws watch the farm while we went away a week to Ontario. They did a terrible job.

 

[Beekissed]

I only thoroughly clean my waterers quarterly or if needed. I rinse them free of poop and debris every time, but no soap.

But it doesn't matter. If you pay the kid to do something, he should do it the way you want him to if it is in his abilities.

No one does it the way I do it either.. It's hard to get people to do it just right. We had my in-laws watch the farm while we went away a week to Ontario. They did a terrible job.

I do mine yearly.

They just get the swish and rinse all the other times. What I've come to find out over the years that super clean does not equal healthy or good care when it comes to chickens and even other livestock. There's a happy medium and anything above that is creating work needlessly and anything below it is going to create problems.

It's called the "happy" medium because it creates happiness for all concerned.

The livestock are healthy and happy and I am not overwhelmed, overworked and stressing over details that do not matter in the long run~hence, happy.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Good looking group of kids.


I thought about it all weekend and I don't think that a kid would work out. It's too strenuous and too demanding . It's not an easy job at all. When it comes to cleaning out my chickens coops, chicken house and stalls, I want their area to be spotless or close to it. I don't want poop anywhere on the walls or the roost. I don't want poop in the nesting boxes, so the bedding has to be taken out and replaced. I want my feeders and waterers exceptionally clean. I want the waterers so clean that I would want to drink out of it. When caring for my animals, I don't think it's too much to ask someone to do since they are getting paid to do it. Some people look at it and say, "It's just an animal." And that's why it's probably not important to others but it's VERY important to me. :/

I only thoroughly clean my waterers quarterly or if needed. I rinse them free of poop and debris every time, but no soap. 

But it doesn't matter. If you pay the kid to do something, he should do it the way you want him to if it is in his abilities. 

No one does it the way I do it either.. It's hard to get people to do it just right. We had my in-laws watch the farm while we went away a week to Ontario. They did a terrible job. 

I don't clean mine that way every week. It's more like once a month. And the reason I have to clean them so clean is because I have ducks and geese and they will flop down in a round rubber waterer with no cares in the world. And they leave little presents for the rest of the bunch. I do empty them out daily and add fresh water but the big cleaning has to be done so that I can get all of the poop that may be in the cracks in those round rubber containers.

And I understand that no one will do it like me, so I'm not looking for that type of perfection but halfway would be ok.

And let's not talk about the time I went out of town for 4 days. I "THOUGHT" that my neighbor was going to do what I asked her to do (simply feed and water my animals). Well, when I got back, the animals were flying over the fence to get to me and I didn't know why. When I stepped foot in the chicken yard, it was apparent that they were only fed 1 time and had no water for 4 days. Let's just say, I haven't spoke to that neighbor in 4 months.

 

[kuntrygirl]

 
I only thoroughly clean my waterers quarterly or if needed. I rinse them free of poop and debris every time, but no soap. 

But it doesn't matter. If you pay the kid to do something, he should do it the way you want him to if it is in his abilities. 

No one does it the way I do it either.. It's hard to get people to do it just right. We had my in-laws watch the farm while we went away a week to Ontario. They did a terrible job. 

I do mine yearly.    They just get the swish and rinse all the other times.  What I've come to find out over the years that super clean does not equal healthy or good care when it comes to chickens and even other livestock.  There's a happy medium and anything above that is creating work needlessly and anything below it is going to create problems. 

It's called the "happy" medium because it creates happiness for all concerned.    The livestock are healthy and happy and I am not overwhelmed, overworked and stressing over details that do not matter in the long run~hence, happy. 

I wish I could be that way but I'm not. I have too many animals sharing property and ducks and geese are the messiest animals alive. So, I have to keep those pools and waterers clean.

I have seen people who have had a foot high of chicken poop in their coops and I cringe at the sight of that and their sickly looking animals.

 

[Beekissed]

I wish I could be that way but I'm not. I have too many animals sharing property and ducks and geese are the messiest animals alive. So, I have to keep those pools and waterers clean.

I have seen people who have had a foot high of chicken poop in their coops and I cringe at the sight of that and their sickly looking animals.

What's worse, those folks will post pics on forums of all the filth and clutter like it's a normal thing and all the while I'm thinking, "And you are showing that to everyone????". There's a level of cleanliness that is healthy, but there has to be SOME level of cleanliness, somewhere, or there are just sick animals right and left.

Overstocking is a difficult situation and can cause a lot of problems when trying to keep things clean, that's for sure. I think that's a problem I see in a lot of livestock operations...overstocking, over impacted soils, bare soils that are a combination of mud, feces and urine and too much variety of species to keep adequate and clean habitat for all of them, so folks have to keep hopping to provide that. Aoxa does a good job with multiple species because she has a lot of room and I think that's the only time that becomes less stressful.

 

[aoxa]

What's worse, those folks will post pics on forums of all the filth and clutter like it's a normal thing and all the while I'm thinking, "And you are showing that to everyone????". There's a level of cleanliness that is healthy, but there has to be SOME level of cleanliness, somewhere, or there are just sick animals right and left.

Overstocking is a difficult situation and can cause a lot of problems when trying to keep things clean, that's for sure. I think that's a problem I see in a lot of livestock operations...overstocking, over impacted soils, bare soils that are a combination of mud, feces and urine and too much variety of species to keep adequate and clean habitat for all of them, so folks have to keep hopping to provide that. Aoxa does a good job with multiple species because she has a lot of room and I think that's the only time that becomes less stressful.

I hate when people post photos like that.. Saw one just the other day and it was a breeder trying to sell chicks no less!

I wash mine quarterly because I find they get slimey. Probably because I should be using ACV. That is most likely why yours aren't slimey. I just refill waters so frequently.

It was at least 3 months ago since I did soap. I guess it isn't quarterly, more like semi-annually... lol I don't plan to wash them for some time either.

Still if I had someone working for me I'd likely get them to do it

 

[WalkingWolf1]

.. lol I don't plan to wash them for some time either.

Still if I had someone working for me I'd likely get them to do it

Me too -- I like the way you prioritize.

 

[aoxa]

Me too -- I like the way you prioritize.

Hey, if you pay someone to do something, better bet they are going to do what you least like doing first

I expect that when I work. When we used to clean houses for my mother, she would have us do stuff she would rarely do herself.. like wash down baseboards every other week and silly things like that. But you don't complain, because you are paid to do it.

Hey, if I could get someone to come in and just shovel out pens for me this late spring I'd be happy. That is my very least favourite thing. So hard on the back!

 

[kuntrygirl]

 

Me too -- I like the way you prioritize.  

Hey, if you pay someone to do something, better bet they are going to do what you least like doing first  

I expect that when I work. When we used to clean houses for my mother, she would have us do stuff she would rarely do herself.. like wash down baseboards every other week and silly things like that. But you don't complain, because you are paid to do it. 

Hey, if I could get someone to come in and just shovel out pens for me this late spring I'd be happy. That is my very least favourite thing. So hard on the back! 

I agree. I won't ask anyone to do anything that I have not already done myself. Good help is so hard to find. :/

 

[WalkingWolf1]

Hey, if you pay someone to do something, better bet they are going to do what you least like doing first

I expect that when I work. When we used to clean houses for my mother, she would have us do stuff she would rarely do herself.. like wash down baseboards every other week and silly things like that. But you don't complain, because you are paid to do it.

Hey, if I could get someone to come in and just shovel out pens for me this late spring I'd be happy. That is my very least favourite thing. So hard on the back!

I know, I know -- I took your words TOTALLY out of context (on purpose). I tend to read and process information the same way -- makes life a lot more interesting (people sometimes wonder why I'm smiling at funerals). No fowl intended.