Not the kind you eat. The kind that lives in your backyard, and complicates your life (further!).

Meet The Ladies Part Deux. Surprised? Yeah, me too. These girls were in a bad way. Belonging to a co-worker who failed to research the restrictions of his Home Owners Association, they had to go. Pronto. I’ve thought of adding to the Lady Flock. Like next year. I’ve certainly got a coop and run with enough capacity for more than my meager five. Heck my original intention was to have six chickens, and I would’ve except for our unfortunate dispatch of juvenile roo’s.

These girls are younger than The Ladies by about a month or so. And there are seven of them. That’s a twelve chicken total. Twelve ladies. Yeah, maybe someday, but not today. So, once again I am doing a little chicken sitting. I’m keeping 3 of these free loaders, 4 of them are destined for the home of another co-worker. A co-worker with out HOA restrictions or a coop. No HOA, good. No coop, bad. Remediable, but bad. He’s getting things set up. I’m holding on to his Chicken Girls for the time being.

Speaking of getting things set up, we had to scramble to come up with quarters for our new permanent and temporary residents. Chickens are not to be tossed together. There are concerns: Health concerns, getting along concerns, acclimating concerns. These interlopers will be quarantined from my Ladies for the next two weeks. They will be living in the tractor, and a hastily constructed mini-coop.

Not only do I want them away from the Ladies, I want them with the dogs. I’m unclear as to what life experiences these birds have had. I get the impression much of it involved a garage. They need to get used to us, to dogs being in their face, to all the noises and stresses that entails. They will be front and center for a little while, not isolated in the Chicken Palace. This also delays flock introductions. That’s the part I’m most nervous about. Gaga is going to have a field day.

The temporary coop cost me more than I would have liked. Thank goodness The Husband can build such things. It will come in handy next year, when we add to the flock (again) as more temporary housing. It will also serve as a nice isolation option, should someone ever become sick or injured. Our chicken infrastructure groweth.

We are now one polish, one barred rock, and one silver wyandotte richer. I’m trying to keep with my women of music name theme. One of these girls should definitely be Britney. Beyond that, I’m stumped. Suggestions welcome. Also feel free to tell me I am completely insane.