Feathers and Beaks

Feathers are added to give the chicken more movement as the individual gourds spin or jump. Color variations add visual interest.

Originally, I was considering doing a spin, a bobbing, and a jumping action. Since then I have learned a bit about eccentric and snail gears, and cranking actions. With an eccentric gear the 'center' hole for the turning shaft is off-center, giving a smooth up and down motion. Cutting the gear circle into more of a triangle or square shape but keeping the shaft hole in the center produces up and down motion, but more like a popping up and down....like jumping. That's the motion I want for one of these guys.

The spinning chicken is two gears running vertical to each other. The bobbing one is still hanging me up because I keeping thinking it needs something to bob after, like a worm coming out of the ground.