Wish Me Good Cluck

You didn't really think the population at Blonde Bomber Acres would remain stable (pun intended), did you? If you did, I lulled you into a false sense of security.

Behold the luscious new ladies of BBA:

There are four of them: 2 Americanas and 2 brown leghorns.

I've resisted getting chickens in the past but have succumbed for a number of reasons. First, there are so many empty little buildings on my property that I felt like I need to fill at least one more. Second, eggs. Third (and the real reason), they eat ticks and I'd like to keep Harlan and Tanner Lyme-free.

So, meet the crew. First up is Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn, the beautiful and fabulous leader of this flock.

Then there's this big girl, Edith.

And the last two are the Pheasant Sisters, Lottie and Dottie.

This is a chicken experiment. None of us should get very attached because they are all rasping and showing signs of respiratory disease. (Of course I would buy sick chickens.) I immediately checked in with my chicken-guru-sister and she gave me the skinny on it...apparently it is common, incurable, and needs to be treated with antibiotics. So off I went to Tractor Supply for antibiotics and syringes and when I got back I traumatized all of us by injecting stuff into their breasts (or the general vicinity of their breasts, I am not up on chicken anatomy).

I hope they survive until morning (and continue surviving). If not, Chicken Experiment 1.0 has failed and I will decide if I want to continue to Chicken Experiment 2.0.

In other news, I am on page 4 of a 10 page paper due at midnight, on the genetics of infectious disease. Why did I want to go back to school again?