Ready? Here's my trick:
I look pretty hot when I'm cleaning the chicken coop.
Check this out.
Total hottie.
Meeeeooooow.
(Cough. Gag. Choke.)
Ok, so here's the real story. A story that proves that I'm still plenty green at a lot of things.
(And I'm not referring to the eco-friendly green, either.)
Awhile back, I went to clean out the smaller chicken coop. We'd been using old straw as bedding since it was free (from the hayloft over our heads). At our old place, we had used wood shavings.
Now, here's the difference between wood shavings and straw. Wood shavings have the ability to soak up moisture. And you can layer them for some amount of time before having to do a thorough cleaning of the coop.
Straw...not the same. Not even close. Only I didn't know that until I went to clean the coop out. After six weeks of layering straw.
You see where this is going, right?
It didn't help that we hadn't yet realized that the coop floor sweats. It also didn't help that the chicken waterer suddenly leaked.
(Water) + (old straw) x (6 weeks) = Pure Nastiness.
Now, I have a pretty strong stomach (after all, I am the mother of boys) but one fork into that pile of bedding had me gagging. It smelled bad, but what I was more worried about was that breathing that in was bad for me.
I need a dust mask, I announced, stumbling out of the coop.
A dust mask. You know, something similar looking to the hospital mask type things?
Well, when you ask Farm Man Extraordinaire for a dust mask, this is what you get...
Ah. Wedded bliss. On the farm.
There's nothin' better. :)
That sure would be a good name for a book"Wedded Bliss' just saying.....
ReplyDeleteI think your making a great fashion statement. LOL
ReplyDeleteIt's pink! I never had a pink one when I was polishing metal. LOL Oh! And by the way....straw isn't absorbent...that's why horsey people don't like to use it in stalls. heee heeee. :)
ReplyDeleteHaha....thanks for the morning chuckle!! Very stylish mask :-)The pink on it really is the cat's meow LOL!
ReplyDeleteGee, I only have the regular old white kind...I have dusk mask envy! Very stylish - ;-)
ReplyDeleteThat's so cool. Be careful what you ask for hahaha!
ReplyDeleteEvery time I clean the coop I have a mild asthma attack, and every time I clean it again I tell myself I'll wear a dust mask. Been six years now. Still too stupid to do it.
ReplyDeleteI have the opposite problem; we USED to use sawdust but it was always too dusty and getting dust everywhere, including in my lungs. Now we use clean wasted goat hay. I can't let it set very long though, so there is more cleaning out to do, but at least it doesn't bother me AS much. But I really do need to wear a dust mask. How much powdered chicken poop do you think I've inhaled in the past six years? Ick!
Ewww, gross! I know that smell very well~We just tilled a new garden spot next to our house and had the boys clean out the coops and chicken yard. 1 part shavings + 1 part straw + sunshine + open windows + garden area too close to the house = well, you know that smell too! :) But we don't have any of those fancy schmancy pink masks~your hubby did good!
ReplyDeleteProtect those lungs! Good choice. :D At least it was pink and grey. :)
ReplyDeleteI have an industrial style respirator mask a lot like yours for use when I paint with that awful polyurathane stuff but mine is only all dull gray in color. Now I'm jealous of yours with the pink accents!
ReplyDeleteOh, I think I've got dust mask envy as well. We do have those lovely paper ones that we use when cleaning out the coop and for lots of other construction-y things. But yours is definitely styling!!
ReplyDeleteJudy
Actually you are right on the money, a dust mask won't protect you from some of the problems that come with cleaning a coop, just ask Chicken Mama! Good for you for donning the respirator, better safe than sorry, I know a lot of people say don't bother but lots of people are naturally better at buffering some of the germs, but there's always the portion that have a problem. Happy Cooping, and I think you look like a hot mama! :)
ReplyDeleteI think the respirator mask was a wise choice for dealing with old, wet straw and you do look rather fetching in it! :)
ReplyDeleteO my. A respirator! wow. That must have been a smelly mess. I can however imagine. Yes. You see I have mucked out a few horse stalls that have had standing water on top of old hay and poop etc. from flooding. Have to let the water go down before you can muck. You can taste the stench. We didn't have respirators though, only bandanas. So here is to a clean coop and not layering the straw. You just gained more wisdom.
ReplyDelete@ 3Beeze Homestead
I like your heavy duty mask...cute.
ReplyDeleteYes, the PINK was the first thing I noticed about the respirator. That was quite thoughtful of your hubby to provide something in a girl color!
ReplyDelete