Because What's a Little More Insanity?

We are going condo.
At least the chickens are.

It all started with a funeral.  One of the eight chickens that set up housekeeping in our coop almost two weeks ago died a few days after arriving.  The birds came from Waco, TX and more than one has surmised that she didn't much care for the change in climate.  Iowa winters aren't for everybody, after all, and this particular winter has been challenging even by Iowa standards.  Never mind that the ladies arrived in the waning weeks of the arctic grip; the change would have been startling nonetheless.

From eight, then, down to seven.  The loss was especially grievous because while all four of the breeds represented are handsome in their own way, this one -- a Wyandotte, with its vivid blotches of black and white -- was beautiful.  True, one of the pair remains, but we opted to adopt a replacement.  OK, we opted to replace the lost ONE with TWO.

But they won't be available until the end of April.  Our replacement juices actively flowing, and there being so many appealing breeds, it only made sense (in some parallel universe) to order additionally a pair of one of those other options -- Buff Orpington -- that would be available in a couple of weeks.

That's right:  FOUR hens to replace the ONE we lost.  This is the kind of math I understand.

The impending arrivals created, however, a new problem.  Chickens, as it turns out, don't automatically get along.  Like new neighbors, I suppose, who must first get accustomed to one other across the back yard fence before extending an invitation to dinner, chickens must be segregated for the first couple of weeks -- within view of each other, mind you -- before adjusting their established pecking order in non-lethal ways.

This, of course, necessitated the acquisition of a secondary coop and run which I didn't really want to afford but saw little alternative.  I considered the various homemade options, but even though the birds would only be housed there temporarily I hesitated.  After all, we are talking about me, and tools.  Usually not a promising combination.  So let me hasten to calm my friends and family members who have already started looking up the number of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals with the relieving news that Craig's List connected me with an industrious soul in the heart of Des Moines who makes chicken coops close enough to my price range that the problem could be agreeably solved.  What I now refer to as the "coop annex", on Sunday we precariously wedged the new acquisition into the back of the pickup, and brought it home.

 Yesterday afternoon I assembled a PVC and chicken wire run using a design I located on the internet, and last evening a friend helped me liberate the coop from the pickup bed.

So, we are ready.  Mostly.  There is still some furnishing to be done -- bedding, food and water dishes, adding a little ventilation and a hatch pull system -- but that is easily accomplished.  And then next week the Orpingtons should arrive.

Hopefully to more agreeable temperatures than those with whom they will shortly get acquainted.

Welcome to the neighborhood!