Odd behaviour?

[senorita05]

Hi guys,

I have a chicken named Fluffy and everytime I go to pick her up to move her or pet her, she kind of squats and spreads some of her wings like she is about to fly. I have only had 3 chickens before and I have never seen this behaviour before. Am I scaring her? Is this natural?

She recently laid an egg about 3-4 days ago. Waiting on the follow up of eggs. If that is any extra information that helps.

Thank you

 

[Lisa202]

I do believe that she is squatting for you, like she would do to a rooster so he could mount her. I've only had one chicken do that to me.

 

[senorita05]

I'm fairly new to this. So excuse my dumb questions. Does it have anything to do with her environment? She grew up with 2 roosters who would often play fight (had to give them away). She was quite reserved until I got her a playmate. She initially got very territorial but now they are always together. My other chicken Hazel-nugget doesn't do the squatting thing.

 

[Samjoe]

Lisa is right on. She's squatting. Completely normal.

 

[senorita05]

Is it a phase or can I expect it everytime I try to pick her up?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Like Lisa said, she is squatting for you. She considers you the dominant rooster in her flock and she is submitting to you, letting you know that you are her world, the greatest. The mating ritual is not just about sex. It is also about dominance.

The other one may or may not do that once she starts laying. Each chicken has its own personality. It has nothing to do with her environment. It is just her submitting to your dominance. It is normal in a flock.

 

[senorita05]

Awww that's so sweet.

So today in the afternoon, she started getting very vocal. Even more than the usual. I was convinced that she was going to lay today but she didn't. Also she kept looking for higher ground. She climbed the roof of the coop and a table I have outside and she kept looking at the fence. I have a high fence. However I am concerned if she flies over I will never see her again. My neighbour will see my chicken as food and eat her (no questions asked). Can anyone tell me what she was doing or why she was behaving that way?

 

[sunflour]

Awww that's so sweet.

So today in the afternoon, she started getting very vocal. Even more than the usual. I was convinced that she was going to lay today but she didn't. Also she kept looking for higher ground. She climbed the roof of the coop and a table I have outside and she kept looking at the fence. I have a high fence. However I am concerned if she flies over I will never see her again. My neighbour will see my chicken as food and eat her (no questions asked). Can anyone tell me what she was doing or why she was behaving that way?

Unless she has been frightened, sounds like hormones to me.

 

[aoxa]

Like Lisa said, she is squatting for you. She considers you the dominant rooster in her flock and she is submitting to you, letting you know that you are her world, the greatest. The mating ritual is not just about sex. It is also about dominance.

The other one may or may not do that once she starts laying. Each chicken has its own personality. It has nothing to do with her environment. It is just her submitting to your dominance. It is normal in a flock.

My favourite chicken does this every time I say her name. It cracks me up!

I can say it from the bedroom window and SQUAT - right in the field. Hilarious.

 

[senorita05]

Unless she has been frightened, sounds like hormones to me.

It was supposed to storm today and did get a little bit cloudy and dark, during the day. It stormed during the night but I brought my chicken inside the house. But Fluffy was acting like that during the day when it was sunny. If it is hormones, what does this change mean?