No Emergency: Fluffy Butt Feathers

[chickfused]

Is it normal for my hen to have a fluffy butt, but when she's pooping or pushing, it looks like all those fluffy feathers are basically pin feathers with a long shaft, and a fuzzy end. Nothing looks sick, ill, wet, gross, etc and she's acting 100% normal with no attention to the area. It's just odd looking and I'm not sure it's right.

 

[nuthatched]

Can you post a picture? Most hens have floof.

 

[chickfused]

I'll try. I have to catch her pooping. The fluffy butt looks like this, with the fluffiness coming from the end of the feather. When she's standing normally, it looks 100% fine. Her fluff feathers just seem to have...stalks?

 

[chickfused]

Here you go. You can see how some of her fluffy feathers look like the pinfeathers pictured abave. Doesn't seem to be anything wrong, but it looks strange. Is this OK?

 

[Fluffy_Feathers]

I think what you're seeing is when a chicken poops it moves its feathers down so the poop falls instead of getting stuck on the feathers. When the feathers move out of the way the shafts become more visible. Completely normal and healthy

 

[chickfused]

Thanks!