Bizarre roosting behavior

[Trish1974]

I know this pic is kind of hard to make out since both hens are marked identical, but if you can see the two legs on the left that is one hen, and the blob to her right next to the buff orp is a another hen (squatted down to where you can't see her legs).

I got these two full sisters back in May. They are Ameraucana x Brown Leghorn crosses, right at one year old. The smaller one, the one on the right next to the buff orp, always pushes herself under the wing of her sister, and sis then stretches her wing out over her like she is sheltering her and they sleep that way all night. I have never seen chickens do this, and my original flock was all raised together since they were 3 days old and none of them do this. Does this mean anything, or does anyone know why they do this??

 

[Abriana]

I think it just happens when two hens are squished together (even though usually there is enough room they have to have THAT SPOT OR ELSE I'M GONNA DIE) and one hen flaps or stretches. It looks so cute though, like they are hugging! My hens do that a lot, I like to think they are BFF sisters.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I have read a few posts about that behavior, one is being the chick, and the other the mother hen. I would guess the mothering one is feeling maternal.

 

[Abriana]

But do they really put their arms around each other like friends? I mean, the mother hen sits on the babies, she doesn't put her wing around them. I've seen posts of hens sitting on other hens, so if she was feeling maternal wouldn't she want to sit on the other hen instead of putting her wing around her?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

But do they really put their arms around each other like friends? I mean, the mother hen sits on the babies, she doesn't put her wing around them. I've seen posts of hens sitting on other hens, so if she was feeling maternal wouldn't she want to sit on the other hen instead of putting her wing around her?

Older chicks will snuggle under a hens wings on the roost, but I'm just guessing, only they know why they are doing it, but it's fun to guess at why they are doing it. I find chicken behaviors fascinating. It certainly could be crowding.

 

[Abriana]

Chickens always have to have THEIR spot, whether they're squished or not . Once time, my rooster found his spot taken by his girls and so he jumped right up onto their backs. He had to have THAT SQUARE INCH of the roosting bar.
It is fun to guess! I like to imagine they are really good friends, but then the next moment they are pecking the other one so I'm still trying to find a logical reason of why they do that

 

[Trish1974]

Its actually the hen under her wing that starts it. She will FORCE herself under her sister, almost pushing her over. When I first got them and they were in the quarantine coop they didn't know how to roost (they slept on the floor) and I would watch the smaller one push herself up under the other hen to where she was between her legs! When they started using the roosting bar once they were in the main coop is when she started forcing herself under her sister's wing since she couldn't get between her legs.

 

[Abriana]

The younger one probably feels like the older one is her mama hen. So sweet! Is the other hen (not the one under the wing) protective of one under her wing at all?

 

[Trish1974]

Chickens always have to have THEIR spot, whether they're squished or not

No one really seems to have their own spot on the roosting bars, every evening everyone is in a different spot, and there is more than enough roosting bars. They seem to prefer to squish themselves together.

 

[Trish1974]

The younger one probably feels like the older one is her mama hen. So sweet! Is the other hen (not the one under the wing) protective of one under her wing at all?

Not really protective, just close buddies.