Why Does a Chicken Poof Herself Up?

Chickens are the iconic image of farm life -- from red combs to pointy tail feathers, chickens are pure country. Poultry popularity has seeped past the borders of agricultural America into the city, with suburban and even urban flocks popping up, enabling greater awareness of the unique and often eccentric behaviors of the average hen. ̶0;Poofing̶1; or ̶0;fluffing̶1; up feathers is among a chicken's odder practices that can be a curiosity for novice hen-keepers.

  1. Cold, Sleepy or Laying

    • Chickens puff their feathers for a variety of ordinary reasons.

      When she's sleepy or cold, a chicken's natural response is to fluff her feathers. It's not uncommon to look into the chicken yard and see a beloved hen transformed into a puff of feathers, often standing on one foot and dozing in the sun. Likewise, when cold, chickens will fluff to increase the size of air pockets between feathers, a technique for retaining body heat that works in the same way as a human's puffy coat. Hens also fluff themselves to almost double size when laying an egg, which they sometimes do outside the nesting box.

    Changes in the Pecking Order

    • Chickens will fluff their feathers to appear bigger when challenging dominant hens.

      Artificially increasing physical size is a common intimidation tool in the animal kingdom, and domesticated fowl are no exception. The hierarchy of a chicken yard is known as the ̶0;pecking order̶1; because dominant chickens will strike subordinates into submission with their beaks. The chain of command is hardly concrete though, and hens are always prone to make a power play -- at this time, a hen may fluff herself as she makes a move for a higher position on the social chain.

    Going Broody

    • Chickens who decide to hatch their eggs are called "broody."

      ̶0;Going broody̶1; is when a hen undergoes a hormonal change that makes her want to hatch eggs, even unfertilized ones. Some hens go broody with slight coop changes, some go broody once a year and some never go broody at all. In addition to fluffing her feathers, a broody hen may stay in the nesting box, get angry with little to no provocation and stop laying eggs. Though there are techniques for helping a broody hen through the ordeal, the condition is normal and typically goes away on its own.

    Illness

    • Monitor your chicken's health to ensure the poofing isn't a symptom of illness.

      Though poofed or fluffed feathers is usually normal, it can also be one of a few symptoms of illness. Generally, a chicken fluffed up for normal reasons will resume normal activities when gently roused, but an ill chicken will remain listless and unresponsive, pulling her head into her breast. A chicken who's puffed up and acting sick should be taken to a veterinarian, as some poultry conditions can be fatal to the affected hen.