Farming Feathers
Chirping
- Aug 19, 2017
- 104
- 84
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A week or so back, I mentioned having an old hen living on property when we moved in.
Well after some feeding and seeing the hen much closer a few corrections must be mentioned...I called this hen a Plymouth Rock...though she has markings that are contrast lines or blotches searching the many images... it's now believed that is not the correct species...
What I do know..this bird is stripped of many feathers (now suspect molting) and what feathers are coming in are the small non-flight long feathers, which have a shaped white pattern with a center white line on a contrast dark colored feather. the skin of the hen is whitish not yellow, and the chicken size with many feather missing would seem around 3 lobs soaking wet...suggestive of a bantam. The down feathers are fluffy light grey ends on dark base grey color...so most base color of bird is dark grey with white markings that suggest some pattern and not random...Therefore near or closer to Speckled Sussex Bantam.
I will over time get photos but for now she is spooky of me so pictures will have to wait as I don't have a long lens for distant shooting.
One thing that throws me the wing primary feather are a solid contrast to the body color with no white markings and can be distinguished from the body (don't blend or offer spots to hide the presents) this is not seen on too many photos and feel it's a nit-pic but it could be important and I not know it.
Also had mentioned this chicken is old...well perhaps she just looks tattered due to molt, but when she is running for the neighbor feed call there is nothing to suggest this bird is worn out...she moves fast..
Now she does show up before daylight hours and seems to see well...there is an overhead lighting at our porch and it's a street type of lamp on a high pole so the light is spread over a larger area giving her superb night vision. this light also covers my area where a coop is likely to be placed...will sure have to start early to care for animals here since everyone will be up before daylight arrives.
Well after some feeding and seeing the hen much closer a few corrections must be mentioned...I called this hen a Plymouth Rock...though she has markings that are contrast lines or blotches searching the many images... it's now believed that is not the correct species...
What I do know..this bird is stripped of many feathers (now suspect molting) and what feathers are coming in are the small non-flight long feathers, which have a shaped white pattern with a center white line on a contrast dark colored feather. the skin of the hen is whitish not yellow, and the chicken size with many feather missing would seem around 3 lobs soaking wet...suggestive of a bantam. The down feathers are fluffy light grey ends on dark base grey color...so most base color of bird is dark grey with white markings that suggest some pattern and not random...Therefore near or closer to Speckled Sussex Bantam.
I will over time get photos but for now she is spooky of me so pictures will have to wait as I don't have a long lens for distant shooting.
One thing that throws me the wing primary feather are a solid contrast to the body color with no white markings and can be distinguished from the body (don't blend or offer spots to hide the presents) this is not seen on too many photos and feel it's a nit-pic but it could be important and I not know it.
Also had mentioned this chicken is old...well perhaps she just looks tattered due to molt, but when she is running for the neighbor feed call there is nothing to suggest this bird is worn out...she moves fast..
Now she does show up before daylight hours and seems to see well...there is an overhead lighting at our porch and it's a street type of lamp on a high pole so the light is spread over a larger area giving her superb night vision. this light also covers my area where a coop is likely to be placed...will sure have to start early to care for animals here since everyone will be up before daylight arrives.
