Attitude change?

[dandrews1971]

Do most birds have a change of attitude once they start laying? I kind of remember my older girls being more flighty, not so friendly, but now they all squat & wait to be held, or petted. They enjoy the attention. The younger group, UGH, its a pain to chase them down to grab them for anything. Herding them into their pen at night is a nightmare sometimes. (we have to put them up early due to owls). IM hoping they too will have a change in attitude once they get closer to laying.

 

[travis5292]

Do most birds have a change of attitude once they start laying? I kind of remember my older girls being more flighty, not so friendly, but now they all squat & wait to be held, or petted. They enjoy the attention. The younger group, UGH, its a pain to chase them down to grab them for anything. Herding them into their pen at night is a nightmare sometimes. (we have to put them up early due to owls). IM hoping they too will have a change in attitude once they get closer to laying.

I think they DO, most definitely. I have 4 EE, a white leghorn, buff leghorn, RIR, black sexlink, and red sexlink.
My red sexlink has laid an egg every day for 11 days now. (first egg by any of my chickens 11 days ago). I watched them all get on the roost last night in the coop. She, of all the chickens I have ever had, has become the biggest HAG when they head off to bed. She wouldn't let any of the others on the roost bar. She would walk to each end, and viciously peck the others on the head.
For the past few nights, right at dusk, I've noticed a few different ones out in the run, roosting up on a corner shelf I installed for them to hang out on during the day. She is running them right out of the coop. It's hard for me to tell the others to fight back. (since they are chickens, of course)
If it continues like what I witnessed, I'll separate her for a couple days, and rearrange the pecking order.

 

[dandrews1971]

IM just hoping theyll calm down some once theyre laying. I have 3 EE & 5 black sex link pullets. They have been handles since they were about a week old when I got them. They were fine while in the brooder, didnt freak out when I picked them up. Once thewy went in their grow out pen, they morphed into socially inept freak outs. They squawk & run when I come near them. God forbid I try to pick one up, They carry on & on.....
My older girls dont do that.
They used to not like being poicked up or messed with as well but it wasnt this bad.

 

[ChirpyChicks1]

I only have two that consistently laying but the first one, she became a sweetheart around 14wks old (she had been so scared of everything up til that point) and hasn't changed since, now 20wks old. The second one to start laying had also been skittish her whole life but never mean, the week or so before she started laying she became very very mean, so mean in fact that I was considering culling her. After she started laying this stopped and she's friendly now and doesn't run away from everyone.