“Is raising chickens hard work?”/“It sure is. You have to work around the cluck.”

“Around the clock” is used in a chicken pun as “around the cluck.” This version was printed on a 1961 newspaper:
 
Pat: “Is raising chickens hard work?”
Mike: “It sure is. You have to work around the cluck.”
 
In later versions of the joke, the chickens are doing the work. This was printed in 2001 newspapers:
 
Q: Why are chickens considered good employees?
A: Because they work around the cluck.
 
This version was printed in a 2004 joke book:
 
Q: How long do chickens work?
A: Around the cluck.
 
     
28 January 1961, Vineland (NJ) Times Journal, The Vineland Builder (ad), pg. 2, col. 5:
Pat: “Is raising chickens hard work?”
Mike: “It sure is. You have to work around the cluck.”
 
5 August 1972, Colorado Springs (CO) Gazette-Telegraph, “Bradley Broadly” by Wes Bradley, pg. 26-D, col. 2:
SHE: Is raising chickens very hard work?
HE: I’ll say it is. You have to work around the cluck.
 
19 December 2001, Evening Times (Glasgow, Scotland), “Is this really the funniest joke ever?,” pg. 3:
Britain’s funniest joke was named today by scientists investigating the psychology of laughter.
 
In a huge experiment called Laughlab, which was launched at the BA Science Festival in Glasgow in September, a total of 100,000 people were invited both to submit and rate jokes.
(...)
Two chicken jokes were awarded the lowest ratings by 74% of people taking part.
 
One was the joke known to every school child: “Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side.”
 
The other was: “Why are chickens considered good employees? Because they work around the cluck.”
   
Google Books
LOL!: Laugh Out Loud Joke Book!
By Sarah Perez
New York, NY: Tangerine Press
2004      
Pg. ?:
How long do chickens work?
Around the cluck.
 
Twitter
Edwina‏
@chicken_2
@team_woolies - It’s Red Nose Day so I take it that was a joke?? Here’s one: How long do chickens work? Around the cluck!!
10:22 AM - 13 Mar 2009
 
Google Books
Laugh-Out-Loud Jokes for Kids
By Rob Elliott
Grand Rapids, MI: Revell
2010
Pg. 53:
Q: Why were the chickens so tired?
A: They were working around the cluck.
 
Google Books
Cute Easter Jokes For Kids
By Peter Crumpton
PeteyRF Creative
2015
Pg. ?:
How long do chickens work?
Around the cluck.
 
Twitter
Willow Tree Farm‏
@WillowTreeFarm
How long do chickens work?
Around the cluck!
6:02 PM - 15 Sep 2015
 
Reddit—Jokes
How long do chickens work?
submitted July 9, 2017 by Madclapper
Around the cluck.