I have a very unfortunate looking chicken. Poor Helen is molting, and this is the worst molt yet. Or maybe the best molt, depending on how you look at it. I try to ask myself if I would be willing to lose all my hair over the course of a month if it meant that it would grow back thick, shiny, and new, and look great for the rest of the year. Maybe. Unfortunately Helen doesn't get a choice, and even worse, she lost her feathers during the coldest autumn days we've had in a long time. Even worst than that, she hasn't laid an egg since this whole thing started!
The wind blows her remaining wispy feathers apart to reveal bald spots. She shivers in the breeze. I wonder if chickens ever wear sweaters, like fancy lap dogs?
It won't be much longer before her new feathers fill in the gaps. Right now they are still wrapped in their sheaths, so she looks like the love child of an ugly chicken and a porcupine.
I kind of like the punk rocker look, personally, but I don't think Mrs. Hall approves and it's effecting Helen's confidence. Normally she's first in the pecking order, but lately it seems Mrs. Hall has been asserting herself and getting all the choice compost scraps. Of course, it could be that Helen is so cold she's just moving slower, but I'm pretty sure having a bad hair day that lasts for weeks can really put a dent in your self esteem.
Don't worry Helen, it won't be long before you'll be back to your normal vain self. Maybe I should let her read this post, so she can remember how beautiful she normally looks.
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