Hen with skinny, flat butt

[dogdollar]

I am wondering......
I have nine hens and eight of them have wide, fluffy butts.
One of my production reds is different, though. She is a very trim little hen, healthy and in fine feather, but she has a skinny butt...she doesn't have that "bloom" of fuzzy feathers in her vent area like the others do. I'm not sure if she's laying or not...my hens just started laying in August and there are only a few that I have actually caught in the act...but she's healthy and lively.
Is this indicative of anything?
DD

 

[acid_chipmunk]

My Production Red is the same way. All the other girls are fat and fluffy and she is skinny. She is just as healthy as the rest of them and lays everyday for me.

 

[4 luv of eggs]

You're probably used to the dual-purpose breeds (Rocks, Wyandottes, Orpingtons, Australorps) which are very broad, meaty girls since they are also eatin' chickens. Production Reds and Leghorns (and I'm sure others) are strictly egg producers and are built smaller. Just as a comparison, Leghorns get to be about 4 1/2 pounds and Orpingtons can get to be 8 to 10 pounds, depending on what chart your looking at. My one Production Red gave us her first egg today and she doesn't look nearly as big as my Orpingtons who aren't laying yet. Also, production birds lay earlier than dual-purpose.