Feathers, feathers everywhere!
Fall is here. Fall is NOT my favorite season.
I think of myself as mostly an optimist. However, the fall season, with all the leaves dropping off trees (let’s be honest, those leaves are dying) gets me down. Not to mention the whole fall temperature whiplash thing. I need a sweatshirt and jeans in the morning, by 2pm I’ve shucked all that for a t-shirt and shorts, and by evening feeding at 6pm I’m freezing again. Good grief.
I also get smacked with trying to complete every unfinished outdoor project before the snow flies and I need time to mourn my favorite season, summer. For me, it’s really, REALLY hard to get the happy face on in fall. There was ice in the water bowls one morning last week. I almost cried.
To top it off, the barnyard is full of feathers. Those feathers are no longer attached to the chickens since most of the hens are molting. Every morning I look around and think for sure a predator made it past Doink and has murdered my entire flock. Feathers are everywhere.
In addition to that unpleasant morning jolt – I never seem to get used to it – molting hens don’t lay eggs. I’m currently getting only 2-4 eggs a day from 12 hens. (Sofia hasn’t laid an egg in forever, and Lucy/Ethel are not quite old enough.) That’s pathetic!
I know Aretha, Hermione and Scarlett are not molting and still laying. Thank you, ladies. I know Sarah, Rapunzel and Maude definitely are NOT laying. They are my little chicken zombies. They wander around the barnyard dropping feathers like zombies drop body parts. They truly look possessed.
Poor Sarah has exactly one tail feather left.
I swear she lurches around the barnyard.
They look bad enough with their feathers falling out. They look positively creepy with new feathers growing in.
Oh, Rapunzel. That’s just not right!
Aaaugh!
The feather loss is so random.
That head. Every single feather fell out! Maude hides in odd places these days. A chicken zombie lying in wait.
So I’ve got zombies in the barnyard, not many eggs in the kitchen, and a bad case of dreading-the-wintertime blues. If I could, I’d like to settle down for a long winter’s nap. Wake me in spring, ok?
(Shared at Clever Chicks Hop, Homestead Barn Hop, Homesteaders Blog Hop, Tuesdays With A Twist, Backyard Farming Connection Hop, Down Home Hop, Frugal Days Sustainable Ways, HomeAcre Hop, From the Farm Hop, Farmgirl Friday Hop and Homesteaders Hop!)
I just learned something new from you: molting chicken=no eggs….that explains things for us in the kitchen too:( We’re lucky if omelet lands on our plate after a week these days! I still love the photos of your hens…with feathers or without! 🙂
Annie recently posted…Aubergine Stew
Hey Annie! The good news is those feathers do grow back 🙂 Here’s to more omelets in your future!
Joan Hobbs recently posted…Chicken Zombie Apocolypse
Oh, I hate that you’re down about fall. Water frozen already?!? Oh my! Here in NC we have 4 full seasons. I’m the type that is always ready for the next season to come. It seems by the end of whatever season I am end I am growing a little tired of it. But I do love fall well at least the beginning of fall. Ours starts out mild and we will not get freezing anything until almost winter. Our chickens are laying now, but not old enough to molt yet….thank goodness! You poor pitiful gals. But you do crack me up with the zombie chickens….I may be slightly obsessed with all things zombie.
~Ann
Summers Acres recently posted…It’s NOT the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!
I hate being a sourpuss, so today I was trying to put a positive spin on fall during the morning feeding in the barnyard. I love the time I spend wandering around with the animals before the day really starts. I will try and “extra-appreciate” these non-freezing fall days before winter sets in!
Oh – that actually looks painful! I think Aretha is hiding because she is having a bad feather day! 😉 Here’s to a short molt for your gals!
Vickie recently posted…Making Cheese from Almonds
It sure does look like an embarrassing time for a chicken, doesn’t it?
Joan Hobbs recently posted…Chicken Zombie Apocolypse
I don”t mind fall, it is winter I hate. However fall is when most people fall sick. But I have licked that problem too with organic unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar. That’s right, two teaspoons of ACV mixed in a glass of warm water if taken within 15 minutes of feeling sick has cured me. Three years not been sick, touch wood. Works for allergies (especially chicken feathers – no kidding), colds, cough and sore throats.
What I don’t understand is why I am following a blog post about chickens. 🙂 I suspect it is because Joan writes (love those photo captions) so well and these chickens have character.
Mine are molting too! We’re getting 2- 4 eggs from 7 chickens. I had to laugh when I saw the lonely tailfeather. When we got our chickens at 2 days old I didn’t realize till we got them home one had a pastey butt. In my rookieness I took the scissors to her and unknowingly cut her tailfeathers right off! Doesn’t seem to slow her down, she still flies a bit, but she does look a little silly 🙂
We love her anyway.
Awww, Poor Sarah! I had a hen that molted like her. They do look pretty terrifying when their feathers start coming back in!
Tammy/Our Neck of the Woods recently posted…Clearing The Camera
They are SO weird looking. Especially those who only have one patch of feathers missing! But soon this will just be a distant memory and I’ll have more eggs than I can deal with!
Oh my gosh they do look sad don’t they. My girls have a soft molt going on and are laying but not at the normal rate. I do love Fall it’s my favorite season. I am so ready for a break after roasting all summer. I can’t believe you had ice on your water already… Yikes !!! I’m not ready for winter either.
Jen recently posted…Holy Cow We’re Horse-N-Around Now…
I can do cold, and I can do hot. But today, it was 42 degrees when I went out this morning, and by 3pm it was 80 degrees. I’m just not good with cold and hot in the same day!
Joan Hobbs recently posted…Chicken Zombie Apocolypse
Oh my gosh they do look sad don’t they. My girls have a soft molt going on and are laying but not at the normal rate. I do love Fall it’s my favorite season. I am so ready for a break after roasting all summer. I can’t believe you had ice on your water already… Yikes !!! I’m not ready for winter either.
Jen recently posted…Holy Cow We’re Horse-N-Around Now…
Mine are molting also. we use to get 10 eggs now we get 3 to 5 a day.
I don’t mind fall, it is so beautiful but winter can be very hard here in Vermont! I do like having four seasons though. Loved your humorous look at chickens molting, we’re going through the same thing one of these days the egg basket will be full again! Thanks so much for sharing on the HomeAcre Hop. Hope to see you again on Thursday!
Nancy The Home Acre Hop
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