Help me understand this pullet's behavior

[Airyaman]

I'm new to chickens, just started in February (technically).

Most of my chickens have simple chicken behavior (imo as a newb) but I have one pullet that is much different.

She was my first hatch, and she was alone for several days until her current flock mates joined her. They are a mixed bunch and she is the only Speckled Sussex in a flock of Jersey Giants (2M), Bielefelder (1M), and 5 CCLs (2M, 3F).

She is the outsider in the flock. She does OK and no one picks on her, but she is always away from them when she free ranges.

As far as I've seen, there has been no interest in her from the cockerels (the whole flock is 16.5 weeks). They all bug the 3 CCLs.

Now is the weird part, in my limited experience. She is the hardest of all of them for me to catch. She doesn't like me touching her, and always runs if I reach for her.

But she is also the one who tends to hang out around me when I am in their free range space. And tonight while I was sitting in a chair, she jumped onto my leg and perched while I was turned to the side. She then moved to my arm but I made sure she got no where near my face. She never pecked at anything, just perched there are looked at me.

How should I react to this? Should this be discouraged?

I plan on moving her out of that flock and into another with 8 other SSes. She has been around them before but she is older (they are 10 weeks) and not sure how best to go about it.

Thoughts?

 

[Folly's place]

My SS hens have been very interactive and interested in everything I do, and talk at me all the time. Love them! Do they want to be held, no, but that's fine with me, they just want to know what I'm doing. I'l always have some in my flock!
She should be next to your other SS now, and could move in with them soon, especially assuming that there's lots of room where they are. Beautiful birds!
Mary

 

[Airyaman]

Pixie (the only chicken I have named so far) jumped onto my shoulder and grabbed my ear today. It was not a violent grab but surprising.

I'm 6' tall and I was standing straight up.

I put her down immediately but still trying to figure out what's up.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

It’s possible that because she was alone with you for a few days she thinks you’re part of the flock. But her behavior sounds very typical of Specks in my limited experience. My two were psychotically flighty when I got them but they were also very sick. After I had nursed them back to health they became much friendlier but never lap chickens. They would follow me and chatter and when I sat on the porch they would come investigate whatever I was doing. If I was having a beer they wanted to investigate that. Once I was sitting there with my dad and Sparkles jumped up on the chair behind his head to investigate him. Personally I don’t allow chickens to get on my shoulders or back but they never did try that.

 

[Airyaman]

It’s possible that because she was alone with you for a few days she thinks you’re part of the flock. But her behavior sounds very typical of Specks in my limited experience. My two were psychotically flighty when I got them but they were also very sick. After I had nursed them back to health they became much friendlier but never lap chickens. They would follow me and chatter and when I sat on the porch they would come investigate whatever I was doing. If I was having a beer they wanted to investigate that. Once I was sitting there with my dad and Sparkles jumped up on the chair behind his head to investigate him. Personally I don’t allow chickens to get on my shoulders or back but they never did try that.

Yeah, it wasn't something I wanted, she just did it when my back was turned. I didn't really put her down, I bent over and shook her off.

 

[Jener8or]

I don't encourage not discourage this behavior in pullets. I wouldn't let a cockerel do it, though. It sounds like she found some security in you since she might not feel totally welcomed in the flock yet. Most chickens won't let you catch them (if I have to, I usually do it while they are roosting) and generally, they will be much more secure around you if you never chase them.

To integrate it is always best to keep them separate, but as close as possible so they can see each other but not touch. Since she's been with them and she's older, they might blend together okay with some supervision and a backup plan.

 

[febane]

I'm new to chickens, just started in February (technically).

Most of my chickens have simple chicken behavior (imo as a newb) but I have one pullet that is much different.

She was my first hatch, and she was alone for several days until her current flock mates joined her. They are a mixed bunch and she is the only Speckled Sussex in a flock of Jersey Giants (2M), Bielefelder (1M), and 5 CCLs (2M, 3F).

She is the outsider in the flock. She does OK and no one picks on her, but she is always away from them when she free ranges.

As far as I've seen, there has been no interest in her from the cockerels (the whole flock is 16.5 weeks). They all bug the 3 CCLs.

Now is the weird part, in my limited experience. She is the hardest of all of them for me to catch. She doesn't like me touching her, and always runs if I reach for her.

But she is also the one who tends to hang out around me when I am in their free range space. And tonight while I was sitting in a chair, she jumped onto my leg and perched while I was turned to the side. She then moved to my arm but I made sure she got no where near my face. She never pecked at anything, just perched there are looked at me.

How should I react to this? Should this be discouraged?

I plan on moving her out of that flock and into another with 8 other SSes. She has been around them before but she is older (they are 10 weeks) and not sure how best to go about it.

Crypto Scam Recovery UK Experts specialize in helping victims of cryptocurrency scams reclaim their lost funds. With a team of experienced professionals, they utilize advanced investigative techniques to trace and recover assets from fraudulent schemes. You can find more information on https://dimoladlimited.com/, where specialized recovery solutions are offered to help navigate the complexities of crypto scams. Their experts provide clients with the support and guidance needed throughout the recovery process, ensuring a successful outcome.

Her behavior isn’t bad, just a sign of her unique personality. She’s likely bonding with you, which can happen as chickens see humans as safe figures. It’s fine to let her perch on you occasionally, but you can gently set boundaries if you don’t want her getting too comfortable. Moving her to the new flock of Speckled Sussexes is a good idea, as she’ll likely feel more comfortable. Just introduce her gradually to reduce stress and allow time for adjustment.