Chicken Grooming

[pawprint2104]

I observed my "top o' the ladder" RIR ("Buffy") being tended to by the other two (RIR and EE). When I say "being tended to", I saw "Buffy" as she stood in front of the reflective sliding glass door while the others delicately picked the remnants of poo from her fluffy butt. "Buffy" seemed to enjoy the attention.

I've seen them preen each other's feathers, but not this behavior of two tending to one. Is this typical? Has anyone else observed this in their flock?

 

[julie75]

My Buff Orpingtons had a tendency to clean the butt of my Buff Cochin when they were younger until he figured out the right way to do it. At first I thought they were just pecking at him because there was something stuck to his feathers. But after observation I figured out they were just trying to help and he didn't seem to mind. They would peck at him gently and then scrub there beaks on the nest box to clean them off and go at it again.

 

[pawprint2104]

It seems kind of sweet. I'm learning a lot about chicken sociology and politics. Quite interesting, they are.