PRACTICAL PARSIMONY: lost tail

Showing posts with label lost tail. Show all posts

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Sunday Morning Coming Down

What happened to Louise's tail?

Not smoking, not drinking, not so lonely this Sunday morning. But, Louise lost her tail! I think it was there when I brought her in last night. It is not lying around in their night cage. But, the droppings are sure strange.

Louise has only two tail feathers. She had a magnificent tail until this morning. Or, today is the first I noticed it. I roamed around with a camera in 45 degree, wet, tall grass in sandals trying to get this picture. Now, my toes are like ice since I refuse to turn on the heater. Maybe socks will help and furry house shoes. Okay, that is the plan when I get up from here. Thaw toes.

Don't you love Kris Kristofferson? I was so happy and rested this morning even though I am in an incredible amount of pain. Then, I saw Louise's tail and a funk set in and reminded me of the title and tone of song. But, the tail? It is so puzzling. I slept 12 hours, so there is no reason not to be happy, right? LOL

If this is a full molt, it is their first since they seem to just lose a few at a time, looking straggly for a few days. Okay, I am cooking a pot of pinto beans with lots of chicken broth, all for the hens. They need it.

Hopefully, none of you have lost anything this morning, especially tail feathers from a hen.

Your turn

What could have caused the tail loss? Have you lost anything this weekend?

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The Cast

Fancy is my favorite hen. She is one of the three youngest hens I adopted. Because she is so gentle and friendly, she may be the one I rescued when she was being pecked to death after she could no longer stand. She got to live in the house in a box. Sometimes, I let her sit in my lap while she was convalescing. Now, she comes to sit in the swing with me, cuddling up to my body like a cat or dog. She died in February 2012.

Fancy follows me begging, complaining, needing me to do for her. She talks to me in various voices. She allows me to pick her up and carry her. When she became an adult, her head was a darker red and her body was light brown. Around her neck were tips of black feathers. It appeared she had a necklace of jet around her neck. When I showed this characteristic to a friend, he said, "Oh, you have fancy chickens and plain chickens."

Chessie has a broken toe. I broke it! She had a habit of jumping really high and almost sticking. A raccoon ate her in October 2009.

Thelma is the blonde. She is also the largest hen and the alpha hen. I suspect the gigantic eggs are from her. She often squats and presents herself to me. She is top hen, but I suspect she knows she had better be deferent to top feeder of the flock--me.

Louise is the auburn-feathered hen. She looks like the true Rhode Island Reds in pictures. She is almost as large as Thelma. Some days I suspect she is trying to be top chicken. When I got Pepper, I found out Louise is the Alpha hen.

Pepper came here from the same home as the first four. We were discussing putting red pepper on their food, wondering if it really would increase egg production. Pepper is the only name we agreed on. She is terrorized each day by Louise. Even after the worst was over, she was and is still filled with terror and very wary.

Linda is owned by four hens. They allow her to fetch for them. She loves them dearly, so she allows them to boss her around. Linda comes out in the rain to perform chores for them and make sure they have food and water. She begs scraps from all sorts of places to make sure they have fresh fruits and vegetables.

Parsimony is not a vegetable

Parsimony is extreme care in spending money. Stick around and learn about my random thoughts on accomplishing goals economically--dumpster diving aka safari, gleaning, do-it-yourself, sewing tips, recipes, and whatever is happening in my life.

Okay so maybe "parsimony" is not your thing. How about thrift, frugality or just plain saving money? I try not to go the tightwad route as that seems to imply others will suffer from my habits.

Some of my not-spending habits have very much been a part of my lifelong habits. Other habits are newly acquired and are an extension of my lifelong not-spending habits.

I am very imaginative when it comes to substituting or making instead of buying. I will tell you about making a heater for the chickens' water. Not one dime was spent since I had everything I needed right in my basement.

Practicality must rear its head alongside parsimony. For example, I will use the dryer in bad weather or because of allergies in the spring. But, I will not wash clothes in a tub as long as I have a washing machine or can find one.

You may hear more about my four Rhode Island Red hens than you care to hear. They lay delicious brown eggs.

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Sunday, October 30, 2011

Sunday Morning Coming Down