The chicken coop has been repaired a few times now. Chickens like to peck and pry at anything shiny. So of course the chicken coop screws had to be silver. They’ve removed a few and ive had to put in little black replacements. They’ve also worn down the wood the door ledge was screwed into so much in sheer use that it is duct taped together (split) and the ledge is duct taped to it (because attempting to drill further at this point is futile). One night i opened the chicken coop door and realized the boards of wood had separated as well as popped out of the track at the bottom of the door. The chickens went to work ripping them down for me and it took me forever to get them back in position. Then i had to adhere them together again. The original glue i used was hardened after years of sitting in the tool shed. The hardware store was over thirty minutes away in a different city. I decided to just use the all purpose caulk i had in the house left over from a previous project. I didnt need it to be professional or perfect, just functional and quick.
The problem i now had on my hands was that the pullets were in the container i normally transferred the adult chickens into so that i could work on their coop. It was the worst idea i’d had in a while but i commenced operation “try to fix the chicken coop with the chickens still in it”. The job was quick and dirty. I couldnt be precious about how smooth i wanted the caulk to be in between the boards of wood because the chickens wanted my glove and the less attention i called to the area i was working on the less likely they were to try to eat the caulk. I got the caulk where i needed it to be, turned my glove inside out and pocketed it, and then held the wood boards in place as inconspicuously as i could manage squatting in the chicken coop in pajamas with a white tube behind my back. I eventually placed the tube on the chicken coop roof and went back to discretely holding the wooden boards together until the caulk dried. When it was beginning to harden i decided i could let go of the door. I propped it on a rock so it wouldnt be shifted about too much by the wind or the chickens trying to go through it. I also placed a barrier in front of the small opening in the larger door to discourage the chickens from taking this route. I placed their swimming pool in front of the caulked area hoping it would keep them from tasting the adhesive. My original setup meant i couldnt open the chicken pen door wide enough to squeeze out, though i made a big purple bruise trying to do so. Once i re-rigged everything two inches over i made a run for it only to see Daisy standing in front of the swimming pool with her head cocked, eyeing the area i had just repaired. I said, “Don’t do it….don’t you do it! Daisy?” As soon as i said her name she pecked and in doing so got a beak-full of caulk. I was undoing the latch and removing the padlock talking to her the whole time, “Kay, wait wait wait, wait wait wait, don’t eat that.” She shook her head and some of the caulk flew onto the ground. All of the other chickens perked up and rushed for it. I got there first and smashed my hand down over it. Nobody was eating poison and croaking today. So, i cleaned Daisy’s beak off with my shirt, added another dollop of caulk to the place Daisy pecked, and stayed in the coop guarding the door until it was completely solid. It was hot and stinky. There were flies and mosquitos everywhere, and my legs were burning from squatting so long. It was not my favorite project, but it got done, the chickens were able to stay in the pen, and i didnt have to drive to town. So far the repair is still intact.