Why is my chicken crouching when i come?

[feather13]

I‘d be inclined to see it as submissive behavior, which in some sense is prompted by fear— but not necessarily scared-for-their-life fear— just the normal fear one animal has for their alpha... which is, rightfully, you. I think I’d crouch or kneel down beside her, then pick up the hen & give her some love, & let her loose again. I’d want to teach her that while I’m the alpha, she doesn’t need to be afraid.
Now I’m brand new to this... so maybe more experienced keepers will have different advice. In which case, we’ll both have learned something... which is probably the greatest thing about BYC.

This is great advice! I agree that the chickens should be crouching and then extremely fearful when they are picked up. Honestly, we rarely ever pick our chickens up and not all of the pullets/hens crouch down, but they are fairly easy to pet when the do crouch.

@tiho_prskalo : Have your chickens started laying eggs yet?

Also, what breed of chickens do you have? Some breeds are more flighty/afraid of humans than others. We have an Egyptian Fayoumi that won't come near us and screams like a dinosaur if we pick her up LOL.

Also, if you didn't get your flock as baby chicks, they might always be a little skittish. The hand held, hand fed day-old chicks seem to grow up to be friendlier than older ones. You might try crouching down and feeding them some treats like fruits or scratch out of your hand. That's a way we sometimes tame our chickens. Good luck!

 

[Anime2lover]

A few of mine do it as well. It is submission I believe. I usually just pet them and hold them when they do that to.

 

[3KillerBs]

You are their rooster. They are instinctively submitting.

When my hens crouch for me I give them a good petting on their backs and then they stand up and do the fluff-and-shake thing they'd do after mating.

I very rarely use this as an opportunity to pick them up because they don't like being held and I don't want to confuse their instincts.

 

[tiho_prskalo]

Since you don't have a rooster, the chickens take you as their 'rooster'
basically they have made you the leader.
I have not roosters currently and some of them will crouch for me.

WOW REALLY?!!?!? <;D
Well if i am leader then why do they run away from me plus sometimes when they already crouched they don't crouch anymore sometimes... How can i be friendly? I would love to be a rooster ):

 

[tiho_prskalo]

I‘d be inclined to see it as submissive behavior, which in some sense is prompted by fear— but not necessarily scared-for-their-life fear— just the normal fear one animal has for their alpha... which is, rightfully, you. I think I’d crouch or kneel down beside her, then pick up the hen & give her some love, & let her loose again. I’d want to teach her that while I’m the alpha, she doesn’t need to be afraid.
Now I’m brand new to this... so maybe more experienced keepers will have different advice. In which case, we’ll both have learned something... which is probably the greatest thing about BYC.

And how i can show my chickens when i take her up that i am friendly?

 

[tiho_prskalo]

A few of mine do it as well. It is submission I believe. I usually just pet them and hold them when they do that to.

Then go and own the animals then. By the way, when you picked the chicken up while she was eating? Was then she being friendly plus petted so they won't run away from me? And if yes then do you give them a lot of more foods or just a little food to pet them?

 

[feather13]

LOL... as @3KillerBs and @PearGirl say, you are their rooster! Have your chickens started laying yet? They might become more friendly. You might also try sitting down with some scratch/treats and letting them come to you. Don't try to pet or touch them the first week or so. You may find they get friendlier.

 

[chickentrains]

All 7 of my girls do it. My suggestion is when they are at their roost at night, all sleepy, open up their coop and feed them their favorite treat. Thats what we did and ours became super tame, super fast.

 

[tiho_prskalo]

You are their rooster. They are instinctively submitting.

When my hens crouch for me I give them a good petting on their backs and then they stand up and do the fluff-and-shake thing they'd do after mating.

I very rarely use this as an opportunity to pick them up because they don't like being held and I don't want to confuse their instincts.

At first i thought they are protecting theirselves. And Well if i am leader then why do they run away from me plus sometimes when they already crouched they don't crouch anymore sometimes... How can i be friendly? I would love to be a rooster ):

 

[sourland]

Well if i am leader then why do they run away from me

It's their instinct as prey animals to not want to be 'grabbed' .