chicken behavior ?

[CKMom]

First time raising chickens and they are all now11 weeks old.

I talk to the flock every day, sometime sitting with them, handle a few of the friendlier ones, feed treats..
Yesterday I was in the coop opening the windows, and one of the EE pullets flew up and sat on my shoulder. I was calm, left her for a minute and then set her on the roost. Is this being friendly, or trying to intimidate me?

I have a cochin, and seems like every day she is squaring off against the rooster, an EE. She will also go after any bird that pecks or squacks at me. Is she trying to be dominant?

a degree in child development is not helping me understand these kids..

 

[The Zoo]

Heehee - My EE does the exact same thing - expecially if I'm holding my other EE and petting her. The first time he did this, my jaw dropped. I think he was showing off. Landed on my husband's head at one point in time too. Made for some great pictures.

Masala has turned out to be a rooster though so maybe watch for that.

 

[SproutGirl]

The birds probably thinks you are Mom. After chicks can no longer go underneath their mom for warmth and security, they will go on top of her instead. Our first chicks did that to me even when they were several months old--I was the only "Mom" they knew. Now that we have actual hens to raise our chicks, they no longer do this to me, but try to do this to their chicken Mom, which she only puts up with for so long.

 

[Renee]

She Loooooves you.

Mine jump on my lap and love it when I lean my upper body over them and coo. They pretend they are babies again.

 

[lilmouthy]

The birds probably thinks you are Mom. After chicks can no longer go underneath their mom for warmth and security, they will go on top of her instead.

Now I know why my chicks started doing this to me. LOL. One time,I had one on top of my head,one on my lap,and one on my arm. Now that they have gotten so big,I've learned not to get down too low. They weigh too much and their nails really dig into the skin.​