It seems sometimes, chickens are more work than they are worth. They have to be cleaned and feed and watered. Since the trees are still lacking most of their leaves, they have to be tarped from the sun both early morning and direct noon rays. Two months ago they had their coop lined with a bathroom liner to ease poop cleanup and last month they had their nesting bars rearranged to ease nightly top bunk fights. All of this done with bawking from several of the hens and many of the residents of Boxes in Fields. Most of the time I don’t mind working with the chickens.

Most of the time. Oh sure, they lay eggs that taste better than any egg from the store. And while this is true, eating eggs is a come and go thing and right now I am on a not eating egg kick. Eggs, therefore are an added bonus.

Chickens only have one purpose. They are my saviors from bug infestation. And for that, I am grateful. So when the run needs to be cleaned of old packed dirt and fresh dirt brought in, I try not to complain. Too much.

• 

• 

It is hard work. Dirt has to the forked over, loosened, then shoveled out. One shovelful at a time. Certain areas the dirt is very hard packed and very stinking such as by the door and under the water feeder. And both of these areas are daily trodden by at least one resident of Boxes in Fields as they open/close the run door. I really despise standing in poop laden dirt that then sticks to the bottom of my shoe like gum on a hot summer day.

If the dirt was not replaced, the smell would get worse and then the chickens would get foot fungus. Taking care of foot funk is not an option as I am not that kind of chicken person. Therefore to ward off foot funk, we shovel out dirt. To every negative there is a positive. Shoveling dirt produces bucket loads of the most nutritious fertilized dirt. The first bucket load was piled up for an above ground garden I hope to get built in the next few weeks.

The second bucket full was poured into this root exposed hole. Two trees are intertwined and both fell over during the storm two years ago. Since both are still thriving, I figured poop enriched dirt couldn’t hurt as a natural nutrient booster.

• 

• 

Shoveling out the two bucketful of dirt is only half the work. The harder job is when two bucketful of fresh dirt/sand mixture must be shoveled in. Dirt shoveled out is fork fluffed and easy to shovel. Dirt/sand mixture is hard and shoveling requires boots and strength to get a full shovel filled. Of course, there are the chickens all around inspecting your progress. Trying not throw mixture onto chickens is challenging. Can’t say it didn’t happen once or twice. Can’t say a chicken didn’t get kicked either. It happens.

Hours later with sweat rolling face, a sore stiff back, and blistered up hands the job is done. You stand back and admire your work thinking it wasn’t so bad and silently thanking yourself that it is only a once a year job. Freshly painted coop, a new stepping step, a redesigned roosting bar, and fluffed dirt/sand mixture. I think I am done working on the chickens for a while. It seems my chicken work to benefit ratio is getting out of whack. Oh wait, next month is new peepers!

One final note, I can’t say for sure, but I think the one level roosting bar was a smash hit.