The article suggested a deep litter system of poultry husbandry. As that's the modus operandi for household maintenance in the celestial swamp, it was the kind of advice I was happy to heed!
Ordinarily, we would clear out the chicken coop on a fortnightly basis, giving the happy hens some fresh sawdust and straw in which to ruffle their feathers. Originally filed under 'taking it in turns', mucking out now clearly has more ticks in one column than any other.
"The warmth of the chicken droppings," read the article, "...will help to heat the coop. Instead of rigorously clearing out the coop, cover the aforementioned droppings with further woodchippings and/or straw; thus retaining the warmth already provided." Music to my ears.
Recent weather fluctuations - well variation in the type of precipitation - mean that it's hard to let the wooden hen-house air properly between mucking out and re-lining, but I'm not sure that the chooks are too worried by the lingering aroma and a quick squirt with anti-mite spray seems to do the trick.
This wintry weather has perhaps resulted in the advised system being adopted with a little too much enthusiasm: I have begun to wonder how long before it will be before the larger hens have to duck when exiting the coop. Not since the Romans has such an efficient underfloor/under-feet heating system been seen. The Sisters of Doom and their cohort have looked disdainfully upon floods, rising and falling, but still ventured out. However, this cold white stuff and the sub-zero temperatures tempt them out into the field in no way whatsoever, in spite of my exhortations (bribes with corn!).
Today is a sunny day and the rise in temperature means that the field is basking in a balmy 3degrees celsius. It may be time to tick the W for wife box and arm myself with barrow and bucket!
No comments:
Post a Comment