Pretty Pinecone

Backyard Poultry

Goodbye, Pinecone

Pinecone was a nearly-three-year-old Auracana, or 'Easter egg,' hen. It came in our second batch of chickens, a total of about twenty, in 2011. Pinecone's beautiful feather pattern was like none I had seen before: coal black framed a rich gold "mane" which cascaded down onto misty gray and finally black tail feathers. I treasured the opportunities to hold Pinecone since it was very shy and usually raced away from our hands. Its little beady eyes and rose comb always had a very suspicious look.

Hidden Nest

Last summer, we had major problems with our chickens escaping to lay their eggs outside our coop. It took nearly a week to discover Pinecone's stockpile, in the center of some dense brush and grasses. If only the eggs were fertile--and the hen had intentions of setting on them--I was almost tempted to let Pinecone raise its own clutch of baby Auracana chicks! Of course, Pinecone was soon forced to revert back to the nest boxes, where it faithfully laid us a blue egg almost every day for two years.

Auracana Friends

 Pinecone was best friends with both Birchie (above) and Walnut. In fact it acted like sort of a mother for "Baby Birchie." No matter what Auracanas I get in the future, I will always miss my beautiful Pinecone.