Ribh's D'Coopage

[Shadrach]

One of the things I always wanted my girls to have access to, whether I was home to let them out or not, was a dust bath. Accordingly I Iaid a strip of bricks across the back of the coop run & under the coop so it would also always be sheltered & filled it with sand. It is a good sized area & very popular. It is one of the first places new girls investigate ~ even before food & water ~ & when the weather is bad it is usually still pretty dry & all the girls can *puddle cuddle*, as MJ puts it.

However I ran into a problem. Chooks are messy. Chooks moult.
Gradually, each week, dirt & straw, leaves & feathers began piling up in the bath area, though no~one poops a lot in this area, which is interesting. If I wanted it pretty clean for the girls then I had to rake it out @ least weekly. Just now I am doing it daily & sometimes twice daily. I could stuff a doona with all the feathers that are accumulating just now! It is a pain.

So today I collected another pile of bricks, raked the area really well & lifted the lip before adding some new sand. It won't stop everything but I am hoping it will help some. The girls will enjoy flattening the pile! The things we do...
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I don't know about sand dust baths. It's not really dust and not soil either.

 

[BY Bob]

It's a horror story.

Nevermind then! I'm not into horror stories.

I'm going to guess it's like the day I watched the flock herd and try to kill a chipmunk. Just like they portray the raptors in the Jurrasic Park movies.

 

[Shadrach]

Nevermind then! I'm not into horror stories.

I'm going to guess it's like the day I watched the flock herd and try to kill a chipmunk. Just like they portray the raptors in the Jurrasic Park movies.

Noooo, not that sort of horror story.

 

[Shadrach]

It seems that chickens everywhere see themselves in supervisory roles.
My Brother In Law getting, and probably paying highly for, specialist advice.

 

[BY Bob]

Noooo, not that sort of horror story.

I'm definitely afraid to hear it now.

 

[RoyalChick]

It seems that chickens everywhere see themselves in supervisory roles.
My Brother In Law getting, and probably paying highly for specialist advice.
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I have been getting expert advice today also laying some pavers - they are quite big and heavy and I have to stand there holding them until everyone clears out because I am afraid of crushing some toes. No doubt it will end up being my own toes that get crushed!

 

[Ribh]

I don't know about sand dust baths. It's not really dust and not soil either.

Well, until the girls made some I didn't have any soil. In Queensland the contractors that clear building sites often remove all the top soil. That left us with clay & ironstone. It sets harder than cement. The girls can & do grub it up but it is really hard work. The other end of the pen got leaf litter, sugar can mulch etc & after 3 years we now have soil @ that end. They will bathe in both. The girls really like the sand for some reason, partially I think because it stays pretty cool even in the worst of the summer heat.

 

[Ribh]

This man you keep mentioning; does he have an identity or is he just some random male that shows up from time to time.

Just some random stray I picked up along the way 40 years ago. He comes in handy on occasion.

 

[Ribh]

It's a horror story.

Well, I'm intrigued. Come hold my hand, Bob, & we'll listen together. I can bear it if you can. Besides, there's a good chance Shad is just teasing.

 

[Ribh]

I have been getting expert advice today also laying some pavers - they are quite big and heavy and I have to stand there holding them until everyone clears out because I am afraid of crushing some toes. No doubt it will end up being my own toes that get crushed!

They are great @ supervising! My sons were a bit put out by the running commentary they got when they were laying our pavers!