fluffed up hen

[Rick589]

We have a 10 month old BO hen that recently ended up with a clump of dried poop on her rear. We cleaned her and checked her vent and everything appears clear. But at the same time we also noticed she seems to walk around with her feathers fluffed out although she doesn’t appear to act any differently from the others. Just curious if anyone has any bits of wisdom to share on the fluffy feathers?

 

[Eggcessive]

Do you have any pictures of her? How old is she? Does she lay eggs, and have you seen any soft or abnormal egg shells lately? Is she eating and drinking normally? What all does she eat including treats? How does her crop feel—empty and flat, full, firm, or squishy? What does her poop look like? Pictures are welcome. Have you check her skin for lice or mites?

 

[Rick589]

Do you have any pictures of her? How old is she? Does she lay eggs, and have you seen any soft or abnormal egg shells lately? Is she eating and drinking normally? What all does she eat including treats? How does her crop feel—empty and flat, full, firm, or squishy? What does her poop look like? Pictures are welcome. Have you check her skin for lice or mites?

She behaves just as her sisters do, eats and drinks as normal. They all get sunflower seeds and BSFL plus scraps and self feed on all flock feed. She is the biggest(fattest) of them all. Crops feel full as all the others and she has just as much energy. She just seems to have her feathers fluffed more than the others and we notice she’ll stop and really fluff herself out. We don’t see any evidence of mites or skin conditions and none of the other chickens seem to have any issues at all except the bare backs and torn up feathers from a short period when they were being roughed up by two roosters. This pic isn’t the best.

 

[dawg53]

Sounds like she might be broody.

 

[Eggcessive]

Does she go around clucking with her tail feathers in an inverted V? Is she staying in the nest box a lot, and pulling out her chest feathers?

 

[Rick589]

Sounds like she might be broody.

Have’t seen any indication of this, but the eggs are collected often and I have yet to see her or any of the hens sitting on them. Once they lay they’re out and about.

 

[Rick589]

Does she go around clucking with her tail feathers in an inverted V? Is she staying in the nest box a lot, and pulling out her chest feathers?

No. Outside of fluffing up her feathers and occasionally stopping to give her feathers the ‘full’ fluff she acts as normal as all the others.