Hen jumping on my back. Is this normal?

[TheOddOneOut]

Thank you. Milly is a Blue Cuckoo Marans.

Wow, she's beautiful! I've always wanted a Marans. I can't make out her barring in the photo, but that sounds like a wonderful variety to own.

 

[sekeyslaks]

Completely normal! Depending on how they act and how you train them it can be a friendly playful gesture as well as pushy and dominant.You just have to learn which is which.The friendly ones will shovel or swipe their beaks on your clothes rather than bite or chest bump to check out texture and how sturdy your lap is,they don’t like unstable surfaces I have found.Every batch of chicks I allow them to walk and jump on my back,arms,and lap because it hurts less when they are young.then when they are older than 6 weeks I train them not to,and as adults they still don’t get on me anymore and are very human friendly still.It’s all about your preference!

 

[kurby22]

Haha, I’m in the “love it” camp I have a bunch of chickens that like to visit me while I sit in the run with them. Some just want to be near me and up higher for perching, and others want to be loved on. My favorite chicken Puff surprised me and flew from the ground up onto my shoulder which has never happened before. But I do love it

 

[sybonbon]

Haha, I’m in the “love it” camp I have a bunch of chickens that like to visit me while I sit in the run with them. Some just want to be near me and up higher for perching, and others want to be loved on. My favorite chicken Puff surprised me and flew from the ground up onto my shoulder which has never happened before. But I do love it

She's like a beautiful dove

 

[kurby22]

She's like a beautiful dove

Thank you!! I just love her so She’s definitely my lap chicken! Hehe.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Haha, I’m in the “love it” camp I have a bunch of chickens that like to visit me while I sit in the run with them. Some just want to be near me and up higher for perching, and others want to be loved on. My favorite chicken Puff surprised me and flew from the ground up onto my shoulder which has never happened before. But I do love it

She's pretty, too.

 

[kurby22]

She's pretty, too.

Thank you!!

 

[The Kooky Kiwi]

I've had a couple that want to do it - usually ones that I have spent time handling as chicks. I assume it's because they have grown accustomed to being up higher than ground level and the benefits this brings including:

Sitting on mom gets me pets and attention
Being up high can keep you safe from things on the ground you don't like
Being up high gives an interesting new view point on the world
Being given special attention from mom might elevate my status in the pecking order?

 

[Let There Be Light]

I personally think it's fine. Almost all of my chickens do it. One of my hens, June Bug, is low in the pecking order and jumps up on my back when she gets scared. I thinks it's just a normal chicken mom thing. XD Only the chickens that trust me do it.

 

[SilkieChickii]

Completely normal! Depending on how they act and how you train them it can be a friendly playful gesture as well as pushy and dominant.You just have to learn which is which.The friendly ones will shovel or swipe their beaks on your clothes rather than bite or chest bump to check out texture and how sturdy your lap is,they don’t like unstable surfaces I have found.Every batch of chicks I allow them to walk and jump on my back,arms,and lap because it hurts less when they are young.then when they are older than 6 weeks I train them not to,and as adults they still don’t get on me anymore and are very human friendly still.It’s all about your preference!

Not a dominant thing then cause she does the beak swipe thing. Its the chicken in my pfp