Do I turn this hen on?

[Mikee1948]

Whenever this one hen sees me, and I get close to it, she goes into a crouch, stamps her feet, and trembles. She's so docile I can pick her up. The other three hens run the other way. LOL

 

[ChickiKat]

Sounds like she likes you best!!!

 

[OldChurchEggery1]

How old are your hens? Mine started doing that right before they began laying eggs. If you have pullets, it may be that the female in question is about to come into production and the others aren't.

 

[WestfarthingHomestead]

Ha! I remember when my first hen started doing that. I told her, "Uh, I'm a happily married heterosexual, thanks anyway."

Really, they're such creatures of instinct. I was sure my hens would be clueless about what to do with a roost because their coop was too small for one and they always slept in the hay. Soon as they got a roost, up they went!

 

[anderson8505]

Take it as encouragement that she sees you as a leader, destined to do great things.

 

[gryeyes]

That's known as the "squat" which is both a sign of submission and a sexual maturity marker. She's either laying or close to laying.

When any of my pullets or hens squat for me, I give 'em a quick skritch between the shoulder blades, another skritch at the base of their tail feathers, then a friendly pat on the back, saying "Good girl!"

They stand back up and shake their feathers and go on their merry ways.

 

[sourland]

Yes, you are the object of her desires.

 

[epeloquin]

Quote:
Exactly right. When my girls do that I shout "Look at the squatty girl!!" and I give them a scratch on their back or their sides. Different girls like it in different places. Their tail shoots up, their back arches and sometimes they purr. Then they frill, shake like crazy and go on their way. Funny.

 

[quesodano]

fakers

 

[Mikee1948]

Quote:
Ha ha, my cat does the same thing! But he's a neutered male.

Oh, and the hen in question is already laying.