what the heck are my chickens doing?

[jakeinater]

So I have 18 chickens and recently 3 of them have been acting strange around me. Every time I get near them the squat down and hunch what looks like their shoulder blades back and freeze, its the weirdest thing! Are they scared of me or something? They are 2 Rhode island reds and a Columbian rock

 

[The Colonel]

So I have 18 chickens and recently 3 of them have been acting strange around me. Every time I get near them the squat down and hunch what looks like their shoulder blades back and freeze, its the weirdest thing! Are they scared of me or something? They are 2 Rhode island reds and a Columbian rock

Sounds like the submissive squat to me. Are they laying yet? If not they're getting ready to.

 

[krista74]

Isn't it cute!

Yes, it is known as the submissive squat, and as @The Colonel says, it's often a sign that they are gearing up to start laying.

They will also squat for a rooster as an indication that they accept his advances to mate.

If you give them a nice big pat/rub on their backs when they squat they will fluff their feathers up as they walk away, exactly as they would if a rooster had mated them.

- Krista