Friday, November 19, 2010

A feather garden


It's that time of the year again:

...when walking through the chicken run:

or the chicken coop:

or, basically, any place my chickens have been "hanging out", I see feathers. It's molting season on Critter Farm:

Chickens generally molt in the fall, when the days become shorter than the nights. They lose many of their feathers and new ones grow in their place:

At first, it was mostly small feathers, but then I started to find bigger feathers here and there:

Soon, they were everywhere. I had a hard time just leaving them lying there, all over the ground. They're so pretty:

Before I knew it, I had gathered quite a few:

Then it rained and they took on a whole new look:

Now there are a lot (can you see Roopert the rooster's curly tail feathers on each side?):

I may need another pot:

Pete thinks they're pretty and likes to sniff them:

My poor chickens. Many of my girls are looking like they've had rather invasive bikini waxes. Not an attractive look, if you ask me. :-)

21 comments:

  1. Hah! Invasive bikini waxes! Very amusing, and unfortunately for the hens, apt.

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  2. Now that is the funniest thing I have seen in a long time!!! Thanks for that..I have always wondered what to do with all those feathers??!

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  3. What a cute idea! My parakeet is molting too.His feathers are so tiny, but very pretty still. It must be so much fun to have goats, I bet they keep you on your toes.--Inger

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  4. So creative, the feather garden looks great!

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  5. This is so cool! Great way to enjoy the plumage after it has been discarded by your ladies and one gentleman. But what I really want to see is your girls' bikini wax look! Are they out swimming in the downpour or getting their mud facials?

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  6. Believe it or not you can sell those fieathers! Search for feathers, on ebay!

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  7. I always wonder if they're a little embarrassed by not being so pretty---they preen all day so their feather will look 'just so'.
    When folks wonder about the feather lying about in my yard, I tell them a chicken blew up.

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  8. Gorgeous feathers. Ken loves to add one of our feathers in his hat band, periodically changing it for a prettier one.

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  9. wonderful post! my coop looks like there's been a pillow fight in it, and the girls are scraggly and pathetic. one interesting note: they are loath to make the 1.5 foot jump from the perch to the ground. i suspect it's because they sense they don't have much lift. not that they had a lot to begin with.

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  10. I love feathers too. I'm always picking them up and bringing them home with me. I love to tease my sister when we walk by brushing her arm with a feather. She swears she's going to get lice if I touch her with one. LOL!

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  11. We have some pretty naked chickens too. You have to wonder why they do it as it gets cold.
    Silly birds.

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  12. I had a chook once that lost every single feather! She loooked like an oven ready chicken! All we needed was some sage and onion stuffing!

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  13. hahahaha.....looks like you are growing chickens!

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  14. we pick our feathers off the ground and my daughter uses them to decorate her bow and arrows, her playhouse, the yard, her hair...the turkey ones are a favorite.

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  15. The feathers are beautiful. I didn't know that chickens generally molt in the fall... that seems counterintuitive to me. Oh well, I learned something new! :D

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  16. I didn't know they shed their big feathers like that. Love the rooster tails!

    You are so creative, Danni. I would probably just be annoyed at having so many loose feathers around not thinking to make something fun out of them!

    I would love to see a shot of the scraggly girls......it would make me laugh but I guess make them blush.....

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  17. How creative you are!! Now that is cool and very pretty. you know what would also be neat, is to take your feather collection and do a "chicken" or "Farm" themed Christmas tree or even a wreath. People pay big bucks for pretty feathers and you have a feather factory :)
    Amy

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  18. I love that feather garden. Im trying to remember how many were added to that just in the few days that I was there. :-)

    I have to say tho that Spongebob, well, bless her heart...she looks just a little rough around the edges...:-) Shes just as lovable as ever, tho.

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  19. Oh my....losing their feathers now?!? Bad timing girls. You're gonna need all the protective layering you can get if it's anywhere near as cold there as it is here. Snow on the ground and freezing weather. Brrrrr.....

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  20. Looking at these makes me think of my beautiful Guinea feathers Danni...which makes me think of my sweet guinea kids...now I'm feeling blue!!!!!

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  21. Love your feather art! Our girls have been molting too. No eggs :O(.

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