After I dug all the compost from the middle box and dumped it in the far left box, I decided to treat two lucky chickens to the bugs and interesting bits left behind.
Ahem!
"What, me? I'm busy here!"
"nom, nom, nom"
"tasty!"
Finally I put those chickens back and turned to face the last bin. Now, I have a warning here. If you are any kind of animal rights type person you should stop reading now. Just skip to the pretty all-finished picture at the end.
As I started pitch-forking the piles of old veggies, spent chicken bedding, leaves, and chicken poop out of the last bin, I remembered that I'd seen a mouse in the compost bins. I'd especially seen it in this bin. So I went sort of cautiously. About 6 inches to a foot down, I tossed a big pile into the middle bin and a little mouse went flying. She scrambled to the back of the compost bin and gave me a look. Sort of a, "What do you think you're doing!?" look. Hmm. I kept digging out, and another foot down, way in the back, I found a nest with about five brand new baby mice. I looked at it for about two seconds, then picked the whole thing up and deposited it in the chicken coop.
Oh yes, I did. Now you all know how sadistic I am! I ran for it back to the compost bin. I didn't have many qualms about what I'd done, but that didn't mean I wanted to watch the carnage. I figured I didn't want mice in the compost, or eating the chicken food, or in the house, or anywhere around so they had to go. And the chickens L-O-V-E-D the mice. Seriously, I was a major rockstar to them for the rest of the night. Every time I got near the coop they all came running, even more excited than they usually are.
I did feel bad about it when mother mouse came back and hung around for awhile, while I was still there finishing up, staring at me from a distance with a look as if to say, "What have you done!?" Sorry mama mouse. I think she's starting a new nest in the middle bin. Grr.
Anyway, here is the all cleaned up bin!
6 comments:
We always called those little hairless guys "eraser mice".
You can get away with a lot when it makes your chickens happy!
You really work hard!
That's what I would have done :-)
I take it you don't have cats..? I wouldn't want any in my compost bin either.
Awesome blog. Compost and Chickens are a great combo!
@Boda - eraser mice? that's interesting. I suppose because they're little and pink? These were more grey, I guess they were starting to get a little bit of peach fuzz going.
@Karin - too true! Whatever makes those girls happy. =)
@Dr. Momi - that's what makes me know I'm with my people. No one else balks at doing this either!
@Julie - nope, no cats. We're both allergic. =( But someday maybe we'll get a hairless cat, who knows. Somehow I don't think a cat would have enjoyed those mice as much as the chickens - though I'm sure a cat might have kept the mouse from moving in at all! I'm surprised the neighborhood cats allow such a thing.
@Raechill - thanks! The chickens think so too. =)
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