Yesterday was one of those days where the homestead gently—but firmly—told us to stay inside. With temperatures hovering around 20 degrees and wind gusts pushing 30 miles per hour, even the most routine outdoor chores felt better postponed. So we tended the fire, watched the weather whip past the windows, and accepted that sometimes the most productive thing you can do is wait it out.
That means today carries a little extra weight.
All of the weekend’s significant chores are landing squarely on today’s to-do list, and like most homestead days, it starts with the chickens.
A Full Coop Day
Routine coop upkeep is always on the agenda—checking waterers, topping off feeders, scraping roosts, and making sure everyone looks healthy and comfortable. These small, daily tasks are the backbone of good animal care, especially in winter when problems can escalate quickly if they go unnoticed.
But today’s big job goes beyond the coop itself and into the chicken runs.
Cleaning Out the Chicken Runs
Chickens are wonderful animals, but tidy roommates they are not. Anyone who keeps them knows how enthusiastically they pick through their feed, flinging what they don’t want onto the ground in search of the “good bits.” Over time, that scattered feed becomes more than just messy—it can turn into a real problem.
Left on the ground, spilled feed can:
- Attract rodents looking for an easy meal
- Draw in wild birds, increasing the risk of disease transmission
- Absorb moisture and begin to rot, creating an unhealthy environment for the flock
None of those are things we want lingering where our birds live.
So today we’ll be heading into the runs with rakes, shovels, and buckets, cleaning up the mess that’s accumulated and restoring the space to something healthier and more manageable. It’s not glamorous work, but it’s deeply necessary.
An Opportunity to Look Closer
One of the unexpected benefits of this kind of deep clean is the chance to really see the run.
As we work, we’re checking:
- The integrity of the fencing
- Staples, ties, and fasteners that may have loosened
- Areas where the ground has shifted, eroded, or become vulnerable
- Signs of digging, pressure, or wear from predators or weather
Winter can be hard on structures just as much as it is on people, and these close-up inspections help us catch small issues before they turn into big ones.
A Good, Honest Day of Work
Today is shaping up to be one of those solid homestead days—cold but workable, tiring but satisfying. Yesterday reminded us to respect the weather. Today reminds us why consistency matters.
By the end of the day, the runs will be cleaner, the space healthier, and we’ll have a clearer picture of what needs attention as we move closer to spring. It’s not the kind of work that makes for pretty photos, but it’s the kind that keeps a homestead running safely and responsibly.
And sometimes, that’s exactly the kind of day we need.
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