Prototype for a worm/hen model. I veered off from my original plan to try this model.

The circle of life continues as the hen tries to catch the worm and the worm dodges out of the way… just in time.

I put together this quick stop motion animation of the prototype in action.

From the side you can see how the hen is driven via a bell crank. Because the push rod linking to the bell crank is moving horizontally it moves 90° ahead of the movement of the worm giving the chase/retreat movement which adds to the charm of the action. Looking good so far but there is a fair amount of work needed to sort out the geometry. Not bad for a first draft though don’t ya think?