Uh, chicken dance? *video*

[FabulousMandy]

Can someone please tell me wth my australorp is doing? If I reach down quickly to pet her or pick her up she stomps her feet, gets really low to the ground and sticks her wings out. If I pick her up she relaxes, and if I try to pet her after the fact she doesn't repeat her little performance.

She's friendly, perhaps a little shy, but she's never shown any type of aggressive behavior, so I don't think this is an aggressive stance. I'm wondering if I'm just startling her? But what's strange is she just started doing this recently and I've held and pet her since she was a wee chick.

My other thought is maybe it's just a pullet behavioral quirk. She's 24 weeks old and just started laying if that makes any difference. I hope she doesn't think I'm some roo trying to violate her lol.

As you can see, I've over-analyzed the daylights out of this! Here's a video I took today; if you turn the volume up you can hear her stomping her feet:

 

[KyleD.]

Yep she thinks your a roo i do believe, Thats the "squat"

 

[FabulousMandy]

LOL I knew it. I was hoping it was something else, because that's slightly horrifying for some reason, but at least now I know what she's doing! Thanks

!

 

[ArizonaNessa]

Yep no question there she thinks your the roo and she is doing the mating squat. Not a thing to worry about. When my cochin does that I tell the little kids that she is squatting down so they can pet her.

 

[Nikki28]

All of my Red Star girls began doing that last month when they started laying . It took me a moment to realize what it was they wanted. Now they squat as soon we get near them which makes it easy to bring them in after letting them play out of the pen. It does get annoying when they wont move out of your way though.

Cute bird by the way.