Day 243
We affectionately call the task we have to complete connected to our flock of chickens chicky chores. Some are needed to be performed daily. Some are done on a weekly basis. Some can be stretched out even farther. Everyone has a role, though some like their role a little more than others.
As parents, we are responsible for raising responsible, kind, and helpful individuals. We also want to instill a proud and dedicated work ethic, and raising chickens is a great way to reach that goal.
Hopefully, the kids will eventually agree.
Some chores are sought after. The kids enjoy collecting eggs. Sometimes, this trip to the barn takes longer than necessary as there might be a trampoline break. Dropping off food scraps and chicken treats is another task they complete without much fuss.
I tend to take care of checking and filling the feeders and the waterers as they are heavier and not the easiest for kid-sized hands to handle.
One necessary task is often avoided. In fact, I only ask for help from the oldest child as completing it in a timely manner is of the utmost importance.
Collecting and cleaning poop.
While this crappy chore doesn't necessarily have to be completed every day (and because of the freezing temperatures in winter, it’s not even possible), keeping up on scraping the roosts and nesting boxes keeps a handle on the filth and shrink these feathered friends create in a very quick manner.
With a scraper and a five-gallon bucket, we hit the popular roosting spots where the girls make a mess every night. Most of their daytime droppings are outside so that is helpful. When the bucket is filled, we visit our compost pile and it slowly but surely transforms into garden gold.
An even bigger and much less frequent task is a stall clean up. Essentially, this is a poop scoop party on a larger scale. Once every other month, we clean out one of our four main stalls and refresh it with new wood shavings and sawdust. With wheelbarrows and shovels in hand, it’s quite a workout but our girls deserve it as they give us lots of eggs and entertainment.
