Suddenly, Chickens.

No seriously. I was at the start of a nasty bout of flu, I had just finished a project in another city two hours away for my "real-job" and I noticed the farm store. Hmmm, I thought, I've been looking for a trough to use in my bare-earth to magic-veggie-garden remodel and I should check that place.  To quote Kit verbatim (over at DIYdiva.net) "I just happened to be at Tractor Supply on Saturday, and there just happened to be chicks in the breeds I was considering making adorable little chirping noises that sounded remarkably like they were calling my name, and then I may have blacked out for a minute and the next thing I know I’m sitting in the car with this little box of nuggets next to me."  You cannot make this shit up.  Had I been thinking about chickens for my little urban garden experiment? Absolutely. Did I own anything that might indicate chickens were actually on the horizon (Like a coop or a chicken feeder thingy or even a book on chickens?) Nyet. Nein. Nope.  And Suddenly, Chickens.  Six of them. Girls.  and two hours to drive home wondering what the proper ambient car temperature is for 6 tiny little fuzzbuckets that make WAY more noise than someone who's never owned chickens would expect. And, oh hell, where am I going to put 6 tiny baby chickens that my 3 oversized dogs won't think they are scooby snacks? nuts.

That was one week ago. And I'm proud to announce all 6 baby chickenses are still flapping and squawking on this earth. I screwed a bunch of scrap together for an outdoor playpen and acquired a darling hot pink kiddie pool perfect for six chicken girls to start life in. In my home office. I even acquired 'chick grit' and have been frantically searching the internet for urban coop plans. Because now. Oh yes now. The little chicken girls are getting feathered up. And discovering that they can flap them little wings something Fierce. And flying chickens have not yet been prepared for. Only cute squawky running chickens. What to do? Two words. Chicken Guantanamo. and I need to get my arse in gear building a coop.

Caro is going to be a lap-chicken

The night residence

 Oh my god. Coop construction begins tomorrow. I think I'm going to adapt something like THIS: http://thetanglednest.com/2012/12/infographic-how-to-build-our-coop/

Because when you live on 1/4 acre in the middle of a large city, space and style are at a premium.