This evening as the girls were filing in the coop to roost, the strangest thing happened. I always stand in the coop alongside the roosts and talk to them as they bicker and peck over who is roosting where and was petting several different girls as I talked to them. I then came to my Cream Legbar. She was standing on the roost and instead of petting her on the back I slipped my hand underneath her and began wiggling my fingers in her warm feathers as I continued talking to them.
There was nothing unusual about the way I was showing her my affection. I have done this with many of my girls. However, this time something strange happened. As I wiggled my fingers under her, her body started making weird movements. I’m not sure how to describe it exactly, but it felt like her body somewhat quivered and she lowered her wings and then pulled them in tight. It felt like she had scooped my hand up underneath her. The SLW pullet beside her was wanting her to move, but she had no intention of moving. The entire weight of her body was resting in my palm and she was mashing my finger between her breast and the roost. She’s not heavy by any means, but she was putting all her might into keeping my hand right where it was.
Now I have never been around a hen raising chicks, but what I experienced made me think of a mother hen securely gathering her chicks under her. I am wondering if my wiggling fingers made her instinctively respond as if she had a brood underneath her?
Any thoughts are greatly appreciated.
There was nothing unusual about the way I was showing her my affection. I have done this with many of my girls. However, this time something strange happened. As I wiggled my fingers under her, her body started making weird movements. I’m not sure how to describe it exactly, but it felt like her body somewhat quivered and she lowered her wings and then pulled them in tight. It felt like she had scooped my hand up underneath her. The SLW pullet beside her was wanting her to move, but she had no intention of moving. The entire weight of her body was resting in my palm and she was mashing my finger between her breast and the roost. She’s not heavy by any means, but she was putting all her might into keeping my hand right where it was.
Now I have never been around a hen raising chicks, but what I experienced made me think of a mother hen securely gathering her chicks under her. I am wondering if my wiggling fingers made her instinctively respond as if she had a brood underneath her?
Any thoughts are greatly appreciated.