I'm molting.... I'm molting.....

My lovely little hens are molting. They sure look pitiful right now, with so many feathers missing. In a couple of months they'll have all their new feathers and will be beautiful once again. For now, they must go through this shedding process-  in a sense they are losing all that they had that made them who they were or who we perceived them to be.

Honestly, it is as though I have 8 entirely different birds. Formerly, they were beautiful. Their feathers were shiny, full, and fluffy. They were good egg producers, averaging 5 or 6 a day from the 8 of them. They were always busy scratching and pecking at the ground and running here and there looking for something to eat.

Contrast that to their present day appearance and behavior. They have lost a lot of their feathers and have several sticking out at odd angles. Two of my hens have lost most of the feathers off their heads and just have these funny little white, spiky, pinfeathers on their heads. My, my, my, they sure are homely! I would post pictures of what my girls look like now but I will spare them the embarrassment. (Wink!)

Whereas they used to be so busy, now, it would appear they have gotten to be downright lazy. They can be found lounging around most anytime. They still scratch and peck and look for food, but not nearly as much. You see, their bodies are using their energies for growing those new beautiful feathers and it takes a lot of energy. So, if you drive by and see my girls laying around out there, don't think the worst of them - they are still working hard on the inside!

In many ways I feel a bit like my hens. Oh I'm not losing feathers and I'm certainly not laying around lounging all day, but I'm changing a bit too. My new feathers are growing in everyday as I learn new things. I've written before that this is an exciting time for me, one of change, of growth. I am learning who I am, what I am, what I need, what I must do. I am excited to learn what God has planned for me. 

And...... if you do happen to pass by and see my hens..... I would ask you to remember the famous quote by Aesop.  "It is not only fine feathers that make fine birds." 

~Penni