It has been raining here for over a week straight. Because the chickens have eaten all of the vegetation within the pen yard, a normal rainfall causes the yard to turn into a muddy mess. This constant rain has created a stinky slop.
These conditions have caused a lot of angst for me. I like to maintain the best possible conditions for my pets. We always make sure they all get great care, high quality food, lots of attention and security. So, the mess of a pen yard goes against everything that I want for them. Plus, it isn't too pleasant for us either.
The rain kept them from going out last weekend, so I made sure to let them out both days this weekend. The rain was still going, but not as bad. I'm sure they were happy to get out. Luckily their coop has been keeping them warm and dry and I can put their food in there. But, by staying inside so much I had to do a full clean out this weekend. Three big contractor bags were filled with their bedding and 3 bags of fresh shavings went down. I also added some hay for them to nest in. At least their coop will be warm and clean.
But the pen yard still sucks! We're going to try sprinkling lime. Other than that I'm not sure what else to do. They'll just ruin any sod that is put down before it gets a chance to root and they'll eat any grass seed put down.
Other than totally moving the pen yard, which would be a major nightmare, I'm not sure what else to do. We'll have to hope that when the sun comes out and the temperature heats up, it dries it out some. Between that and the lime addition, I hope it will be okay.
