chickens trying to land on me, what does this mean?

[chicken_smitten]

A little background. I have 2 9wk barred rock pullets. Stayed in the brooder for 5 weeks then into the coop for the last 4 weeks. The coop is a large chicken ark with a 6'x6' footprint so the chicken run is underneath the coop. I don't need to open and close a door twice a day.

We started letting them out into the yard for about 15 minutes right before bed 4 nights ago. When they come out in the yard, they stick close by us, within about 10 feet. They are comfortable standing very close to us, just don't like being touched. Every evening, they walk up to one of us and crane their neck out and then fly right at us. They have done it when we are both sitting on the ground and standing up. We've learned that if we stick our hand out towards them when we notice them about to do it, they will stop.

Is it a dominating move? Are they scared and want to feel more secure? Are they being aggressive?
What does it mean?

 

[centrarchid]

Everyday, at about dusk, chickens transition into roosting mode. I do not know if it is driven by hormones or not but it is influenced externally by light levels. They begin looking for either a friendly location such as mother hen (when young) or elevated location with friendlies (flock mates / mom). In you situation it is your head and eyes they recognize. So as they go into roosting mode the want to fly up and be next to your head. Sometimes birds that are otherwise frightened by you will do same. For me I need to be relatively still for this to occur. My pet game rooster still does same and no aggression involved.

 

[Blue]

Quote:
X2 - They just want roost on you. They're not trying to attack you at all. I have a young rooster who likes to fly up and sit on my shoulder or arm, and I used to have an Old English Game Bantam hen who would fly up on my knees, back, or shoulder and sit to get attention.

 

[Velvet Hairpiece]

I have a BR pullet who does this. Mrs. T Bottom is very sweet, and when she was younger I loved that she did it. When she first started, she had to kind of run up my "lady shelf" cause that's all the higher she could jump. Now that she's almost 10 weeks old I don't like it as much cause she's getting big, and I don't like when she poops on me! Still though, it's clear her intentions are not malicious. She just wants to be up high. She peeps so contentedly while hanging out next to my head I usually just let her stay. It's sweet. Also, she does this regardless of what time it is. Anytime is shoulder-roosting time for her! At least she gives the neck craning warning though, and I can just back away if I don't want the company.

 

[Hiram]

Although I'm a 4 month old newbie, I've experienced this too. I mean chickens that normally wouldn't let me touch them would come at me at dusk. I took it as a sign of security. One benefit was that it made it easier to get them back into the coop.

 

[Afterburner]

My EE does that every night. She takes turns walking on shoulders and even runs her beak through my hair. That is perfectly normal behavior. Don't ask me why they do it. My EE also won't let me tough her. Though she'll eat out of my hand, all the food I giver her.

 

[ChickenAl]

The first couple of days in the coop and some of the ladies could not figure out to go from the run to the coop at dusk. They huddled in the run in a corner and were peeping like crazy. I shooed them into the coop, closed the pop door and figured I would go inside the coop to comfort them. When I went in and turned on a flashlight they flew at me and were trying to hang on my shirt, arms and anywhere else. I sat down on the roost with two on one shoulder, one in my lap and the others trying to climb on. I though it was the cutest thing. took about 10 minutes to calm them down and put them on their roosts. They did this for a couple more nights. Flying at my chest I was able to grab them in my arms and place them on my shoulders. Now they just go in hop on the roost and don't need to fly on me anymore.

You can tell when they are about to fly at you by the way they stretch out their neck and look like they are about to leap. Gives you time to get prepared.

Have fun with the things they do, and enjoy the fact they are looking to you as their protector and part of the family.

 

[chicken_smitten]

Thanks for the replies! I let them go ahead and jump up on me last night while I was sitting in a chair. Once my daughter saw them do it, she wasn't afraid of them trying to jump on her anymore. I was so worried the first evening we let them out that they would run away so we sat on a blanket in the grass next to the coop and sat still so we wouldn't spook them. I know everyone said they wouldn't run but it was still nerve-wracking to let them out the first time. Now I wander around the yard tending to things and they follow me. Very cute!

 

[Michael Stegall]

Hello, we just got 3 hens and a rooster. I'm pretty sure they are Brahmas due to the heavy feather foot. They have bluish legs but are only about 4 weeks I think. Today we were sitting outside letting them run around when one of the hens decided to walk up to my wife and sort of check her out on all sides then she went behind her and jumped directly on her head! We were very surprised and this thread answered that question for me thank you all. My wife just gently moves her out of her hair and puts her on her shoulder instead. ❤

 

[usmcpilot06]

I have one bird in the flock that is kind of an outcast. She runs alone and the other birds want nothing to do with her. She spends most of her day in the barn in her own corner. So I enclosed that area for her and put a 2 x 4 and eight feet off the ground. She wouldn't roost on it till I got it high enough for her licking I guess. Every morning I go out to her little pen and she lands on my shoulder and sits there. I can walk around the yard and she will sit on my shoulder. After about an hour she jumps down and goes and forages in the yard the rest of the day. But she won't go where the other birds are. They gang up on her. I don't know what to do to fix this situation, so for now it is what it is. She is a very friendly bird. She will come up on the porch or the back patio ddeck and sit under the table ith me when I go outside to relax.