Feathergrazes
"Three beasts in one body, cow, hen, and storm. Feed it well, and it’ll feed you better. But don’t make it angry near fences." -Bren Hollwick, herdsman.
The Feathergraze is a remarkable hybrid beast native to Everwealth, bred or perhaps conjured through natural magickal convergence to embody the usefulness of both cow and chicken, while boasting neither's temperament; Or possibly a hulking common ancestor of both surviving across the eons. With a stocky, shaggy frame, broad shoulders, a beak where a snout should be, and chicken-like talons beneath split hooves, the Feathergraze is a staple of smallhold farms, though its size, stubbornness, and strength make it a creature for the experienced or the desperate. Capable of producing milk, meat, and eggs, a single Feathergraze is considered a blessing for poor families, and a menace when angered. While their shaggy coats and sturdy hides mirror the long-haired cattle of old, their plumage marks them as something wholly other. They are feathered across the shoulders and spine, with downy tufts beneath their bellies and underarms, allowing them to endure cold winds, muddy fields, and weeks of poor weather with stoic resolve. Their eyes are forward-set and keen, and their low clucking bellows often echo through morning mist as they pace the perimeter of their domain.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Feathergrazes possess a broad, muscular build, supported by four legs with cloven hooves tipped in retractable talons, ideal for navigating rocky, root-choked pastureland. Their shaggy fur ranges from tawny brown to charcoal black, often interwoven with ridges of dull, ridge-feathers that run from nape to rump like a bird's broken crest. The beak is thick, pale-horned, and triangular, more for snapping root bulbs and hardened bark than grazing soft grasses. Bulls have short, curled horns that sweep back from the temples, while cows lack horns but grow slightly larger plumes around the jaw and underbelly. Both sexes exhibit long tails with feathered tips, which they use for balance and pest-thrashing.
Genetics and Reproduction
Feathergrazes reproduce seasonally, with cows laying large, leathery eggs once or twice a year during dry seasons. These eggs are protein-rich and edible, with yolks the size of an open palm. Cows produce milk year-round after birthing, and young are born featherless, with down forming within weeks. Selective breeding among hillfolk has yielded traits like longer talons for defense, or softer, thicker feathers for cold climates. Pure lines are rare, and most Feathergrazes vary slightly between regions, adapting to local soil and weather with surprising resilience.
Growth Rate & Stages
- Chickling (0-1 month): Featherless, vulnerable, often nestled beside fire pits.
- Fledgeling (1-6 months): Sprouting feathers and beginning to peck, bleat, and dig.
- Yearling (6-12 months): Large enough to begin producing waste, noise, and occasional eggs.
- Adult (1 year+): Full productivity in milk, meat, and egg cycle.
Ecology and Habitats
Feathergrazes are found across lowland farmsteads, rolling hills, and river-border fields, particularly prevalent in the Amber Hills and along the misty outskirts of The Ashwood. Though domesticated, they prefer wide, wind-stirred spaces and grow anxious in crowded pens. Some farmers construct rooted nests or allow them mud-hollows, which the beasts dig and occupy like hybrid cows and brooding birds.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Feathergrazes consume grass, bark, tubers, field grains, and insect clutches, occasionally supplementing their diet with small rocks or bone bits, believed to aid in internal grinding. They require more food than standard cattle, but provide threefold return: a single Feathergraze can supply a small family with weekly eggs, daily milk, and dense protein when slaughtered. They cluck while eating and will often scratch the ground like fowl, uncovering roots or disturbing unwanted pests. Despite this, they are gentle to children and rarely hostile unless provoked, or if they detect danger to their herd.
Biological Cycle
Feathergrazes do not hibernate but become sluggish in frost months, with feather molting occurring in early spring. Bulls become restless during mating season, known to emit deep-throated roosting calls that echo down entire valleys. Cows lay eggs only during dry, late-summer months, and require shade and peace to produce milk efficiently. If overly stressed, they may bury their eggs or trample nests in a panic.
Behaviour
Feathergrazes are territorial, highly protective of their young, and semi-intelligent, recognizing specific voices and routines. They respond well to whistle commands and food bribes, and often form deep bonds with handlers. Bulls are known to be headstrong and reactive, sometimes ramming walls or breaking loose during storms. However, their general demeanor is loyal, mournful, and proud. When a herd member dies, Feathergrazes are known to gather around the body, lowing in unison for several minutes, an eerie but touching ritual known as the Cluckwake.
Additional Information
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Feathergrazes have excellent smell and hearing, able to detect intruders or distant weather shifts. They use tail-flick patterns and low body clucks to signal distress or herd movement. Their beady eyes offer limited peripheral sight, but they compensate with strong spatial memory and keen awareness of their own land.
Scientific Name
Bos galliformis.
Origin/Ancestry
Believed to be a post-Schism adaptation or hybridized beast resulting from the collapse of agricultural magicks, where livestock merged with avian familiars across shared fields and nesting wards.
Conservation Status
Common, but regionally guarded. While most farmsteads strive to keep at least one Feathergraze, their stubborn care requirements and broad dietary demands make them a resource-heavy investment. Wealthier holdings breed them selectively, while rural folk trade feathers, milk, and eggs at barter-fairs. Urban nobles, however, deem them uncouth or grotesque, preferring silent herds to screaming beaked milkcows. Nonetheless, across the fields of central Everwealth, no creature is more beloved, or more begrudged.
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