Squatting when I pet them. What does that mean?

[Buff-Island-Australorp]

If anyone is still unsure of what it looks like when they squat.....do not fear.....I promise, you'll know it when it happens.
If your chickens squat down, and walk at the same time as you pet them, THAT'S NOT SQUATTING.
When a hen squats, she'll freeze, and hunker low to the ground.
Everytime I put one of my hens in that situation, I give them a firm back scratch (simulating as much of a rooster as I can bare to think) and then watch them walk away and ruffle their feathers. Someone on here posted as to why they ruffle their feathers afterwards....for the same reason some women believe in laying upside down aft..........nevermind.

After my chickens squat, and I give em a firm back scratch, they walk off looking for a cigarette.

 

[CluckCluck18]

My girls do it,too. It makes them easier to get a hold of but I always feel a little bad.......that they think I'm a rooster! Wilma, my EE is having none of it.....she takes off no matter what and the only way to get her is food bribery and that doesn't always work, either. You go, girl!

 

[dayzeediva]

New to chickens, we bought some chicks in March, I got my first egg 3 days ago, tonight when I went to the coop I tried to pet one of my barred rocks (usually not gonna happen) and to my surprize she squatted down and let me pet her. Then two more squatted down and let me pet them too. None of the rhode island reds squatted but I think the barred rocks are a little older since they were a tad bigger as chicks. I came to the forum tonight looking for the answer to my question on squatting!

Thanks so much to all who posted the information in this post!!!! I really appriciate it!!!

 

[bantyshanty]

That squat they do can be a token of their fertility too, on any given day.
If you have so many hens at some point that you can't distinguish which hen has laid which egg, then the watching who squats can tell you who's laying that week.
A hen who has been squatting and then stops one day is either about to go into moult or go broody, or is just getting some disease or abnormal condition.
As long as they all squat, they're healthy & productive.
If you pet them when they squat, they're very happy to lay the eggs afterwards, because you might have just made them into mamas

of future little hand-shaped chickees

 

[tuckertori]

Wow...I think I'll go pet all of them and see it they all lay eggs today!

 

[ByeByeBlackBird]

When my girls do this to me i scratch their tail feathers and they all fluff right up.

haha

 

[ChickyLove]

My 15 week old roo and pullet have both taken to squatting when I pet them. For a while they would do the walk/squat thing. What is the signifigance of that?

 

[whoacowboy]

Eggs are on the way!!!

 

[meowmmy65]

The comb and wattle of my 16 week Australorp are very red today, and she is really yelling at me. Usually, when I try to pet her, she runs away. This time, she stayed and allowed it - although I'm not sure that she was squatting. She was also a little aggressive - like she was trying to say she isn't afraid of me - and pecking my foot - which she has never done before.

This seems way too early for eggs, but is it at least a sign that we are moving in the right direction? I'm totally new at this!

 

[Buff-Island-Australorp]

Quote:
When I bought my chicks, I chose 5 Australorps becasue the lady at the feed store told me they could begin laying as early as 16 weeks. They didn't, but it sounds like you'll be getting some soon.