Chicken wanting to be laid on?

[planetxort]

I have a couple of Australorpes and a Black Crested Polish. The Polish is being super weird as of late. We thought one of our Aussies was trying to smother the Polish, but it turns out, the Polish keeps shooting under the legs of one of the Aussies in the coop and trying to get the Aussie to lay on top of her. I read that this could be something to do with dominance, but the other chickens have no desire to lay on top of her, she's forcing them to do it. Thoughts?

 

[azygous]

It's a hold over from chick days when they all snuggled together for comfort, security and warmth. You'll see a revival of this instinct when chickens snuggle together for a communal dirt bath. They love the closeness, but some individuals feel the need for more closeness at roosting time than the perch will allow.