Weird stance when I get near

[I Wish I Had A Farm]

My little black hen, not sure what kind she is, just started doing this when I bend down to pick her up; she holds really still and lifts her wings up a little and crouches down (sorta like she's pooping). It's so funny and she just started doing it. She is the "mother hen" of all the others don't know if that has anything to do with it? What does this mean??

 

[Southern28Chick]

That's what they do so that a roo can mount them. Is she laying yet? If not then that means there's eggs comin soon.

 

[FamilyOfChickens]

Our gold sex links do that all the time, and some of our Ameracaunas are just starting to. It makes it easier to catch them.

 

[I Wish I Had A Farm]

Thank you so much! I'm looking forward to eggs....

 

[chickbea]

Yup - she's looking at you as her rooster. They will squat like that for mating. Submissive hens may also do it when a dominant hen is around.
SouthernChick is right - if she isn't laying yet, she will be soon!

 

[erinm]

Yep my australorp started that a several days ago and sure enough her first egg came 2 days ago. And the other is starting to crouch also. I thought they laid eggs 2 weeks ago but it turned out to be my brahma bantam laying the egg along with my wyandotte bantams.....On a sad note, I lost my buff orpington this morning to a fox. bold as can be. 8 am and still out hunting. my son saw it running away with alice in its mouth. She was not even laying yet. just a little girl about 3 1/2 mo old. darn. I guess i will not be letting them out til late morning from now on. They will not like it but it will be for their own good.

ErinM

 

[justusnak]

Oh Erin, I am so sorry you lost a hen to a fox. I dont usually let mine out untill after 10 am. Safer then and they have mostly laid by then.

 

[erinm]

That is exactly the time I decided to let them out after. i should have known. I have seen the foxes in the past {before I ever had chickens }out at that time of the am. It was just a matter of time, so I have learned a lesson the hard way. ErinM
The fox are pretty though. I cannot fault him/her for looking for a meal. It is the neighbor dogs that traumatize me because they do it just to kill. The fox is just trying to survive. ErinM

 

[ChicMommy]

Question, Is this stance typical only to hens? I have a "hen in question" it is an Ameraucana, that is the biggest of all my chickens, we have named "her" Boss and today was the first day I have seen this behavior from Boss. All my other girls have been doing it for about a week and we got our first egg on Sunday(not from Boss). Just a little extra info, my girls were born on November 21st which puts them at just about 20 weeks. Thanks! Jen

 

[RedDrgn]

Yep, it's a hen's way of soliciting sex. If you don't have a rooster, then they're seeing if you'll do the honors!

When they did this to my DH and I, we'd just pet their backs and tails and they'd purr and squeak and then stand up, fluff, and walk off. Once we added a roo, they figured out the birds and the bees and don't do this for us any more.