Very strange chicken behaviour!

[Burgs]

I purchased a coat for my chicken a little while ago as she had become very "active" with my flock cockerels! I've had no problem with the coat she didn't even make a fuss when I put the coat on she worn it almost with a sense of pride!!

I went outside to sit with the chicken for a while today when the chicken with the coat came casually walking out of the coop covered in straw! I asked her "what the bloody hell happened to you!?!?!" But she paid me no mind and sauntered of out into the grass. I thought perhaps that she had gone into the best box and had a bit of a flap around somewhere flicking all the straw up over her back.

When I watched her out in the grass she was actively picking up straw, dry grass, bits of dirt and hay etc and putting them all over her back! And she continued doing that for ages!!

I've never seen a chicken do that before? What's it all about???? Something to do with the coat? Maybe the feathers and growing through and itching?!?

 

[aart]

Normal behavior for them to put bits on their backs while laying...camouflage so to speak.
Have heard of them doing it out of the nest too.
Chickens are goofy and do goofy things sometimes.
I'd take a look under the coat, they can interfere with feather growth and may indeed be irritating if new pin feathers are growing in.

Maybe she's not so proud of that coat and is trying to cover it up out of sheer embarrassment?(that's a joke).
Maybe she's trying to hide herself from the too many males attentions?(that's a joke too).

 

[azygous]

I've had saddles (that's the common name for these garments) on some of my hens, and they tolerate them pretty well for the most part. However, they do interfere with preening and access to the oil gland. Some of my hens found that to be frustrating.

But the behavior you describe may be coincidental and have nothing to do with wearing this garment.