# Spreads chest feathers open is this normal?



## Joj023 (Jul 9, 2014)

Baby will stretch and ruffle her feathers. When she does the feathers on her chest spread apart. Is this normal? My two males and other female have never done this. The first time it really freaked me out. She was doing it quite a few times last evening and I was able to get a picture. Sometimes she spreads them even more.
The second picture is a bit blurry but it shows her stretching and the chest exposed a bit more.


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## Vickitiel (Oct 10, 2012)

Yes, it's normal. That's where the keel-bone is located. She might have sparse feathering there, though, because the gap looks wider than usual, but I'm not totally sure. If there isn't a bald spot, it should be nothing to worry about.


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## Joj023 (Jul 9, 2014)

Thank you CharViki. I was a bit worried. She did this the first time the day after I got her. I was scared there was something wrong with her although she doesn't behave as if there is anything wrong. She just finished sitting on eggs a few days ago. Unfortunately they were all DIS.
Now with the laying and sitting over with she is starting to come around and feel a bit more comfortable with me. I am trying to get the 2 females used to me so I leave the cage door open a couple hours each day and get close and talk to them. Baby comes out but Dolly is still timid although no nips today when I layed my finger against her chest for a step up. No luck with coming on my finger but she didn't lunge at me as she has every other day.
These birds were never given attention so it is going to take a bit for them to come around.


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## ParrotletsRock (Oct 8, 2013)

If she just came off eggs what you are seeing is likely a brood patch. This is a patch of bare skin that the hen lays against her eggs to help heat them with her body heat. My hen had a very bald strip when laying/sitting on her eggs, but does not any other time.


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## Joj023 (Jul 9, 2014)

thank you ParrotletsRock. This may be the case. She had two eggs when I got her and then layed 4 more and sat for the full time. Guess I will know in a little bit if indeed this is the case.


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