Morning: Let the hens out of the house or house area, count them out and look inside the house to see if all is well. Check the food and top up. Empty the water container and put in fresh water.
Check everything outside is okay before leaving.
Evening: Shut the birds up at dusk. This can be a problem on long summer days. If you plan to go out, make sure a neighbour or friend covers for you. Check the run and open the house door to make sure every bird is there. Collect the eggs.
Something for the weekend – cleaning
Most weekends there is no cleaning out to do, but try to make a firm commitment to deal with the house or house area every three weeks. If you keep to this routine it makes cleaning a quick and simple task, rather than a chore; leave it too long and the house becomes filthy and smelly. In this state cleaning involves a lot of scraping and washing etc.
What do I use for cleaning out my hen houses? A wheelbarrow, an old dustpan and hand brush, a metal plasterer’s float, and a triangular metal scraping blade. You will require a bag of shavings and an anti-mite spray for the perch sockets and perches. I also give each house a squirt of anti-fly and flea spray a couple of times in the summer. All cleanings from the house go on the heap where they help to make wonderful compost for next year.
