# 387 - Chickens + Dogs + Rains = Awful Backyard

The drama of having a house on the market never ends. This past week we've had terrible downpours that have made our backyard look like a big mud-pie. Unfortunately, a big mistake of having chickens in our backyard was to let them have access to our back patio areas because out of the choices for shelter, the patio areas are first for the chickens to take during rains. This means poop...lots of chicken poop at the doors to the houses, not a good combination.

One thing is for sure, chickens are much more joyful creatures when kept from the immediate zone of your home...not close enough to sit on your patio furniture, patios, door-mats, etc., because there will be poop bombs everywhere.

Making it even more disastrous in my backyard has been these four critters.

All the dogs are watching Stefie load up the truck
so she can head back to college. 

I'm thinking of giving my chickens to a friend so we can sell our house without having to worry about chicken poop being in the way. It'd be nice to have a larger area to pen them in, but they are so free-range spoiled that they literally scream when fenced in too tight of a space. I despair over the thought of being separated from my chickens. It's silly, but true.

But, the poop is one problem I could enjoy getting rid of. I'll keep the chickens if possible, just move their whereabouts far from my patio and main yard zones. Then, we'll all be happier.

Controlling the poop will make it easier to show this house and for all those potential buyers who are NOT happy about confronting a chicken, it will be good because more buyers will leave this house with warm and fuzzy feelings instead of fearful anxiety that came from looking into the beady eyes of the first chicken they've ever seen.

Days and days of rain have taken a toll on the backyard. It's a mess. If we get a few days of sun and dry weather, things will look better and will start to become greener again. But, until then, it's a mucky mess.

Fortunately, the sun can provide miraculous healing to a soggy yard. I like a good rainstorm, but I'm about ready for this constant rain to let up. And as I type at midnight, there is the pitter-patter of rainfall coming down. Great...just great.

My chickens are also behaving more territorial lately. Once I walk out the back door, the chickens sometimes rush me and one even pecked my toes. OUCH! Yesterday, Howdy was trying to do his personal-yard-business and a chicken flew up behind him and landed on his back, he jumped and spun around to lunge at the chicken with bravado, but I thought the chicken was pushing her luck.

I'm not sure why extra aggression is being displayed, but perhaps it is due to the foul weather. Maybe the chickens are becoming a bit broody. Lately, when I try to get the chicken eggs, a couple of the hens will behave very upset that I'm approaching the coop. The darker colored hens are more aggressive than the Buff Orpingtons, for sure.

For now, I'm a bit dismayed at the state of my backyard, especially because my grand-dog, Thor, decided during his visit over the holidays that he liked to dig holes. Not good. Holes in the yard are bad for the ankles. Even worse is that my dog Howdy is so smart that he stares at any actions being conducted by a person or other dog and he tries to replicate the motions, hence his ability to open doors on his own. I'm hoping he won't start digging holes because he'd probably dig to China.

Thor...a little destructive booger. It's a good thing he's so darn cute!