There's a certain kind of heartbreak that comes with a bare chicken butt, and honestly, we're here for it. Our feathered friend molted back in February, and while the rest of her flock mates are strutting around with full, glorious tail feathers, she's stuck airing out her business to the world. The first picture from today, April 10, shows she's still rocking that minimalist look, and the second from mid-February proves this isn't a new development. She committed to the bit, and honestly, we respect the dedication, even if we do feel a little cold just looking at her.
Now, before anyone starts panicking and assuming their hen is doomed to a life of drafty afternoons, let's talk about what this actually means. The fact that no other bird in the third photo has any sparseness is a good sign. It tells us this isn't a flock-wide issue, no mites, no sudden nutritional crisis, no mysterious plague sweeping through the coop. This is just one lady who decided her rear end was meant to be free. Practically speaking, this is usually a non-issue as long as she's eating well, acting normal, and not showing signs of being picked on by her sisters. If she's still foraging, dust bathing, and giving you that judgmental side-eye, she's probably fine. Feathers don't always grow back on schedule, and sometimes they just don't come back at all. It's the chicken equivalent of a bad haircut that you eventually just accept.
If a reader came to us with this exact situation, we'd tell them to take a breath and maybe offer her a little extra protein to help things along, but don't stress. We'd check her over for any signs of bullying or pecking, because sometimes it's not a molt issue but a social one. But if she's holding her own and the only thing missing is her tail feathers, you're probably just looking at a hen who's got a quirky sense of style. Our honest take? This is less of a medical emergency and more of a character quirk. She's not broken, she's just embracing her inner plucked chicken aesthetic. The real takeaway here is that chickens are weird, lovable little dinosaurs, and sometimes their bodies just do things that make us scratch our heads. So let her be the naked-butted rebel she was meant to be, and just make sure she's warm enough in the winter. That's it. That's the whole fix.
