chicken ruffs/puffs up feathers

[Cracrachickluv]

My chickens keep poofing up their feathers why, just curious

 

[sumi]

Are they puffing up their feathers and shaking their bodies or walking around puffed up?

 

[Cracrachickluv]

Are they puffing up their feathers and shaking their bodies or walking around puffed up?

a little of both i guess but not walking far

 

[Cracrachickluv]

Anybody?

 

[JanetS]

Are they eating, drinking and running around like normal? Have you checked them for lice/mites? Can you post a picture? Sometimes this helps. How old are they?

 

[kittycooks]

My hens do that when they are cold or damp. Has it been raining lately?

 

[Ridgerunner]

First something that is probably not it. Is she broody? When a broody is out for her daily constitutional, she usually walks around puffed up. She is usually fairly active though, eating drinking, pooping, and just in a hurry to finish her business so she can get back to her eggs. I have had some broodies when the weather is really warm stay off the nest for a long time and socialize with the other chickens but they are usually still fluffed up and making a pocking sound. And I have had some that walked around like that but were not really kicked over to full broody mode.

Sometimes when that are dust bathing they’ll lay around fluffed up. They are not necessarily active then either.

If she is lethargic over a time period, it’s probably not a good sign. Chickens fluff up and stand around when they don’t feel good. If it only lasts a few minutes I would not worry about it, but if it goes on for an hour or more, I’d be concerned. It could mean mites or lice, maybe worms. They act that way if they have coccidiosis or other diseases or if they are injured.

I really don’t know if it is a problem or not, but it is certainly something worth watching.

 

[lderouchie]

I have the same thing with one of my hens. She is almost a year old, has been laying eggs for a few months, and I THINK is starting to become broody. Yesterday she was in an nesting box for hours, with one of her eggs under her. I had to move her because it's a spot that is not secure for her to stay at night. She didn't again today, we secured the spot, but is now perched with the others. She fluffs her feathers at times, looking like an Turkey. It's cute and funny. We have another hen that has so far hatched a chick, and she too did the same thing beforehand. So I'm hoping that it's the case for her, because that would make for another broody hen!!