Poultry Talk Ontario (pto.ca)

Winters are hard on the backyard. This winter I also learned they are hard on pens. The coops are clean thanks to the tarp.

For those who don't know, I retired my Silkie business. Many reasons, but they've gone to new homes. I kept 1 Silkie who is broody. She remains in the Silkie coop.

Tarps are ugly. I believe Baron or Skinny Rooster once said once a tarp is up, the tarp stays up for 10 years. I hated the tarps all winter. omg so ugly!! Tarps are down! Silkie coop and pen in the midst of being spring cleaned and tarp on sides removed . Pen cleaned and tarp removed. Silkie coop cleaned out because it was loaded with herbs and no herbs for babies!! Have to wait till they are a few weeks old for herbs. Such a tolerant broody!!
Big coop with tarps. Sooo ugly!! Phew! Tarps are off.

I also cleaned out the bins with DE and wood ash. Girls love to bathe in the sun. This was the Silkie size bin, but apparently that doesn't matter. Ten nesting boxes. Clearly this one is the favourite. I even got to some ATV'ing. Took some time to soak in the scenery and stood on my little bridge and listened to the insanely loud mating calls of all the amphibians.

Even got the summer tires and rims on and the truck washed.

This is what happens when Drake is outside all day with his mom and flock Productive day! Enjoyed the day outside and can I just say chicken dynamics are HILARIOUS!

Very Nice Sandy! I need to do the same... I repainted Lizzies summer rims now I need to put them on.

Thanks Al! I still have more work to do tomorrow. I am adding stone to the pen attached to the big coop. So I'm taking the top few layers of dirt ans crap off (shovelling. My back is broken lol). My property is so wet that this time of year it is swampy. The pen smells a bit off. I'm assuming because of the feed, all the water and . I don't feed in the coop, I feed in the pen. Coop smells like herbs. But this pen, yuk! So for now feeders will be moved to the other pen that has cement patio squares. Easy to clean up.
I forget what Lou said but something about 2 different sizes of stone we will put in there so it drains properly and raise it above the level it is surrounded by. Hopefully that will make it less swampy next spring. Maybe we'll just do patio stones. I don't know. That's next weekend but I gotta get it prepared.

A few shots of how wet it is right behind the coop. Josh actually did my tires etc today and he gave it the first wash. I gave second wash and shined her up! Was a brown truck from all the mud and rain lately! Tomorrow I need to wash my atv too. Josh got his done but I was too busy shovelling to get mine cleaned hahaha!

Great pictures Sandy! I know for me I love it after I have the pens cleaned out, just looks and smells so much better.

Flat Rock Farm wrote:QR_BBPOST Great pictures Sandy! I know for me I love it after I have the pens cleaned out, just looks and smells so much better.

I agree. I feel like an investigator when I'm cleaning them out. Always looking for something unusual that I may not catch otherwise. I'm so happy my guys are out every day ranging because could go bonkers with trying to keep up. Poop in grass is so much more tolerable haha! Now to come up with a way to keep the tarts off the deck because summer is coming and on deck isn't ok!