(I tripped in a hole in the chicken pen while trying to get a photo of our new Barred Rock rooster.)I'm not the most coordinated walker in the world. I trip all the time, even wearing flats, even when walking on flat ground - it's all due the to The Accident No One Remembers But Me.
I hate picking eggs in the rain because of that ramp that leads into the chicken coop: it is missing one cleat near the bottom, and it's covered in carpet. Tripping, slipping central.
When my husband Dan constructed it he installed old carpet because, 'the chickens will not be able to make it into the coop.' I said, 'put cleats on it and they'll be fine,' so he did - right over the carpet - except for the bottom 15 inches.
(Looks harmless enough, doesn't it?)And it worked fine all right, until the first time it rained. Familiar with wet carpet? If you're not, let me tell you that it is as slick as a 'slip 'n slide'. After the first three times failing to get up the ramp in wet conditions, I declared that I would never be doing that again, and so I have always asked Dan to pick the eggs for me whenever it rains.
It has been raining quite a bit lately, and Dan finally declared that he had 'done enough of that' (referring to picking the eggs) so today I did it, after a light afternoon rainfall.
Let's shorten this story: I slipped and fell onto my back while descending the ramp, and all of the day's eggs were broken, save these few:
(The right photo shows the previous day's eggs.)
Those last ten are probably cracked, too, it's just disguised under all that slime. I was in slightly better shape, but the entire backside of me looked equally as messy.
I will not be picking eggs in the rain again!