White Hen is molting, there are feathers scattered all over the farm.
And the birds who took over the barn swallow nest in the pole barn are taking advantage of it. The nest changes every day and now it is full of feathers.
As I was mucking out the barn, they floated down from the nest like giant flakes of snow.
Even Lulu had feathers stuck to her whiskers.
Chickens usually molt before the winter. They lose most of their feathers and grow new ones. A kind of replenishing for the cold days to come.
It seems a little early and too hot to be thinking about winter, but I’m not going to argue with White Hen. She’s survived for eight years on the farm. I think by now she and her body know what they’re doing.
I love looking at nests to see what the birds have found to build and line it. It’s pretty neat that you know exactly where that fluffy white section came from.
THis nest is constantly changing. The birds who build it are opportunists! 🙂