The chicken paddock is hard to keep on top of. We have pallets and gate mats and woodchip but most of the time we feel the mud is trying its very best to encroach and we are only just winning!! Thank goodness we have our concrete apron just outside the stable (albeit a tad degraded) and our strip of woodchip. Mind you the woodchip is rather saturated just now as the photo shows. We still rake it over so that it doesn’t get too compacted and mould starts to grow and what’s rather lovely is how Apple and Banana here have now cottoned onto what the rake means and as soon as we start raking, they rush over to grab the rich pickings we are exposing. We very rarely see what they find but it is obviously something and enough to keep them looking for more.
Meanwhile, the geese have cottoned onto the fact that if they are quick, they can get the ‘first wash' once I have cleaned out and topped up their paddling pools. They really do love a good splash and a preen!!!!