Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[featherhead007]

They don’t want to play with me!
The sun has finally come out of the clouds, but the chooks still want to stay under the porch. I baited them with steak . Even canned corn . They come out to eat, but then, like lightning they go back under the porch. I will let them be, I guess. .

 

[bgmathteach]

A bit of research reveals that birds have a type of feather called a filoplume. All the pictures look identical to what Bernie has.
They act like cats whiskers - ie a strong sensory function - things like wind speed etc.
The only problem is they are supposed to be very short whereas Bernie's are very long.
I think I might post these on a thread to see if any BYC folk have experience.
Here is a diagram showing a filoplume feather.
Can everyone have a look and see if their chickens have them too?

View attachment 3340898

So, in other words, her filoplume is leggy like her?

 

[bgmathteach]

Very interesting! I'll try to take a look.

I like your new avatar! Great use of a kitty tower, btw!

 

[RoyalChick]

So, in other words, her filoplume is leggy like her?

That is what it looks like! I want to hear if others here have chickens with those feathers - then I will consider a post to the broader BYC community.

 

[featherhead007]

That is what it looks like! I want to hear if others here have chickens with those feathers - then I will consider a post to the broader BYC community.

Nope sorry. My hens don’t have feathers like that (but they are fake barred rocks so that says something)

 

[GregnLety]

What gorgeous Roosters!! My favorite though is the one in the second picture with pup!

I like Blackie too because he has so many different colors according to how the sunlight hits him. He's a easy going fella, one of the few that has never tried to flog me or Lety. Here's a different picture of him.

 

[featherhead007]

I like Blackie too because he has so many different colors according to how the sunlight hits him. He's an easy going fella, one of the few that has never tried to flog me or Lety. Here's a different picture of him.View attachment 3340909View attachment 3340910

He looks quite layed back!

 

[rural mouse]

A bit of research reveals that birds have a type of feather called a filoplume. All the pictures look identical to what Bernie has.
They act like cats whiskers - ie a strong sensory function - things like wind speed etc.
The only problem is they are supposed to be very short whereas Bernie's are very long.
I think I might post these on a thread to see if any BYC folk have experience.
Here is a diagram showing a filoplume feather.
Can everyone have a look and see if their chickens have them too?

View attachment 3340898

Just came back from closing the coop (early, but all inside). While not able to inspect every bum, all I could see were like this:

Thank you, Silver.

 

[rural mouse]

My contribution to "pony" sunday

I kept having to zoom out to fit all of them in the one pic.

 

[lightm]

Has anyone seen anything like this before?

This is Bernadette. She has these strange feathers. They are like long, fine, silky hairs - like an extended fluff feather but with only the shaft and a few feathery bits at the end.
This is not new - I have noticed them for a while now but hadn't got a good photo to share until today.
She is acting normally - and as you can see it is not all her fluff feathers, but it is not just a couple either.
Any ideas?
Is it worth posting on the illnesses and injuries forum? At this stage it is more a curiosity than a concern - but it would be good to know if someone else has seen it before.
WDYT?

View attachment 3340696View attachment 3340697View attachment 3340698

Interesting and intriguing. I have not seen this in my flock, but I think I have kept chickens for less time compared to others here.