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It's hard to believe we've only had "the girls" for 7 months. It feels like it has been much longer. It feels as if we've been cleaning their house for years! I'm sure this is magnified for Soren, who took on much of the shoveling duties while my pregnant body passed out on fresh bales of hay. Still, I am the one who fits through the side door of the barn....even with only a month left to go before we add another human to our home. Sometimes it is the only way to get a stubborn chicken inside.

In this short time, we have sadly lost five hens. I'm not sure why. I have spent numerous hours scouring the internet and talking with Iowa folk at feed stores. I have guesses, but I am not positive why they died. Right now we have two girls who are not 100%. Remarkably, they are still hanging in there. I have noticed them to be weak, slightly thin, and a bit jaundiced. I started one on milk thistle seed, and she seemed to benefit. She's tired of milk thistle now. So, I let her be and she can usually be found resting under our porch. Thankfully she no longer lays eggs. Perhaps that will keep some stress off her little chicken body.

The other chicken seems to have the same problems as "Sweetie Pie". She, too, is a bit jaundiced and weak. Still, she's holding on and we hope they will at least enjoy the rest of the summer as free range birds.

And we hope they will be able to ward off three very ambitious roosters!

Is there any room for some goats in here?