Odd behaviour?

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

 

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.

 

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

 

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?

 

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?