hen wont puff up in the cold

[lulu99]

Hi chicken people,

I have a hen (7-month Easter Egger) who has been somewhat lame for about a week or so, that's problem A which I've been looking into. However another issue with her came up -- tonight, a fairly chilly November night, on the roost i noticed she is not puffing up her feathers like the others. At all. Her feathers are as flat and smooth as if it were summer. This is a big concern because later this week the overnight temp is expected to be in the single digits. It just seems very abnormal. I suppose if she were otherwise fine, I might more easily dismiss it as her simply not feeling too cold (it was 40F today & is now, just after dark, still above freezing but will drop to 20s by midnight).

Now that I'm aware of it, I can't be certain when was the last time I saw her puffed up, if ever. She drinks and eats plenty but seems pretty thin. Her general health seems fine, eyes look good, she's alert and active (but for the gimpiness), she is laying fine. I have to check her droppings in the morning, but so far I haven't really seen anything weird around their living areas.

I have six hens and we live in Vermont. Their coop is a large converted woodshed, plenty of space and ventilation. They have a big yard to forage in and they get commercial layer feed, supplemented with seeds, scratch, oatmeal, mealworms, and whatever fruit/veg they'll not scoff at.

I've got a night camera in the coop and will keep an eye on her. Is anyone familiar with this - a chicken NOT puffing up in the cold?

 

[lilmillefleur]

If she's not puffing up, I'd just assume she's not cold. 40F is honestly not too cold.
She's smart enough to do what she can to keep warm when it gets cold enough, so you probably don't need to worry.

 

[RodNTN]

I'm no expert, and I'm not exactly sure if you should be worried or not, but not all of my chickens puff up in the cold

 

[sourland]

I'd keep an eye on her but would not be concerned unless she shows symptoms of distress.

 

[lulu99]

Thanks, this is my first year with chickens. I probably wouldnt have thought much of it, were she not also gimpy. And I only have the five other hens on which to to base her behavior. Everyone else looks like a fluffy basketball.

 

[lilmillefleur]

I have had chickens for almost 7 years and I'm still learning all the time!