While her father is praying that her daughter gets matched, chickens circle him and he gets frustrated with her.
In the opening of the live-action version a young Mulan can be seen chasing chickens, which is later referenced again when her parents are discussing her.
The chickens are certainly a symbol for Mulan’s free spirit that can also be found in the beginning of the 1998 version.
Mulan’s mother is worried her daughter’s love for chasing chickens will keep her from doing her duty as a woman (at the time) and finding a husband.