Healthy Chickens=Happy Chickens

Ever since late April of this year, I have been reading, learning and living chickens.  They were a hand-me-down from a parent at the school where I work, and have been the most rewarding and stressful of pets I've ever had.  I don't mean stressful in that I feel regret or irritation, it's more of a responsibility, and not like that for a dog or cat.  Maybe stressful isn't even the right word.  I just know that every morning I have to get out of bed and let them out.  Every evening (around 8pm at the moment), I like to be home to lock them up in their coop.  I probably don't have to be there right at that moment, but ever since my dear Mannie got eaten by whatever it was, I'm a little sensitive.

I do admit, that perhaps the chickens fill a need to feel needed.  Perhaps I have a pet-addiction?  Whatever the case, they bring something new and fulfilling to my day-to-day life.  They provide fresh eggs and entertainment, and they make me smile.  And just for the record, I still love my turtles Max and Zdarma, and of course our dog Honza still gets most of our attention.

Rowena.  She likes it when I bring her food.

He's so cute when he sleeps

Now for the healthy chicken part.  I went out this morning to clean the coop.  It rained like crazy all day yesterday and on top of that, the chicks were in the run all week.  Rain + chicken poop/feed = stinky.

Can I just say "EEEEEEWWW".  Not only had some ants decided to lay eggs all in the nesting box, I also saw a tiny roach and some spiders.  The chickens don't seem to be bothered but it brought to mind how important it is to clean the coop out often, especially if it a particularly rainy week, or if the chickens are left in an enclosed space more often.  A clean coop/run keeps the yucky insect population down, the smell down, and keeps the chickens from getting those little crap-ball build-up around their toes.  In the long run, it also keeps the chickens from getting diseases and getting sick.  

I ended up scrubbing the nesting box to make sure those ants were mostly gone and made sure to dust the entire coop with food-grade diatomaceous earth.  I have read that some chicken keepers are nervous that this dust might harm the chicken's respiratory system, but it doesn't seem to have an ill effect on my guys.  It doesn't get rid of every insect, but it surely makes a difference.  I also raked out the run to get that muck unstuck off the ground.  Again, eew.

I opened the run today so they could peck around freely and enjoy some sunshine.  As I write this I am looking out the window and I don't see them...  They're in the coop probably pooping on all that fresh straw!