As a response to the previous post, I noticed my girls weren't as sweet anymore as they got closer to 18 weeks. I chalk it up to natural chicken behavior / pecking order / turning into hens as opposed to chicks/pullets. Also, they were very wary of me when I went on vacation for 10 days, and it took them a few days of me sitting in a chair around them until they "accepted" me again. I will say as they are now closer to laying (21 weeks old and 1 out of the 4 girls has started laying every other day), they have sweetened up a bit again. Or maybe I should say "mellowed out" I feel that they have mostly worked out their pecking order stuff and maybe aren't going through a sexual maturity spurt and feel more comfortable in their own skin. Of course, every day is always a new adventure with "the girls".