13 - The experts are here

Image - The Poultry People Amanda & Bernie

The Poultry People A & B are now in Normandy and visited us today. In the five days since there arrival here in Normandy they have purchased 3 Toulouse Geese, ordered in advance of the move, as well as ducks and chickens from the local market. We invite them in and you guessed it here comes the millions and one questions stored in my head. We have a fabulous lunch just getting to know each other and immediately we know we will all get along well, so many things in common and interests. With many questions answered we then, show them around and of course they want to see Hen Pen Garden and the Chickens. Fully expecting A & B to say pull the coups down once they set eye's on them; they surprised me further and said the coups are fine, they just need a bit of a clean. At this point I cringe and shrink back into my own private clean world (I want my townie life back). "but the cobwebs, have you seen the length of them"? I say in alarm! "and the shitty saw dust is 2 inches thick". I was back in the Indiana Jones film, imagining all sorts crawling out of the wood work and not surviving. Yet, another nightmare to get over. I succumb, that this is just another test in life to endure and tell myself to "get a grip and get over it", that it is just another cleaning job that needs attention "BUT YUK" never had a phobia before about such things - "why now" I question myself. At this point Amanda says, "would you like us to do it"? I am gob smacked at this point that anyone should want to help with this task. Without a moments hesitation I say "Oh Yes Please" and before I know it, it is all arranged that they come round the next morning. "There is a God" I say out loud and we all laugh, pinching myself at such kindness...

The next morning all went to plan A & B arrived armed with appropriate gear and got on with the job of clearing out the coups, whilst I wheelbarrow the majority of the poo to the - to be veggie patch. 30 wheelbarrow loads all told; and as they say excellent manure. Horrible job that had to be done and the help was very much appreciated. After giving the walls and ground a thorough spray of a disinfection solution, I then covered the floor with 1" thickness of fresh saw dust. My Chickens, do now live in 5 star accommodation. Bernie had suggested that being as I only had 5 chickens, it was not really necessary to have two coups going at the same time and why not use Coup 2 for storage. "What an excellent idea" so coup 2 in not now accessible for the chickens. He also said, that coup 1 is large enough to accommodate upto 12 Chickens..."Fabulous" I say. Thank you so much Amanda and Bernie...