Beginning to Squat

[EagleEyes]

This squatting that you all are talking about, does this happen in the run, hen house or where?
Mine are nearing egg laying age, so I have a watchful eye.
Sitting on the ground is not what you mean is it?

 

[DaysRanch]

I'll be interested in hearing when they start laying as my girls have been squating for almost two weeks now and NOTHING. Not sure if my girls are toying with me or what as I thought I had read that when they start squating, eggs are days away...not weeks away. I'm driving myself nuts with waiting. LOL.

Good luck!

Mine took 15 days from first squat to first egg.

 

[70 Acres]

We got our 6 chicks on June 1 and they were a week or less old when we got them.

2 of our gals have been singing the "laid an egg" song for about 4 weeks and most of them are squatting now. We ended up with a rooster and for the last week, he has been mounting my SLW several times a day and the others any time he can get a chance to. He made his first attempt to crow on Sunday and my hubby almost had a heart attack and quickly ordered a "No Crow" collar.

I did see "vent to vent" contact (

MY EYES CAN NOT UNSEE) over the weekend. If he is mounting them so frequently, when can I expect to see an egg?

 

[Lillichloe]

I have 18 chickens, two of whom are layers (one came to me laying when she was about a year and a half, and the other was given to us when she was about 8 weeks old. She started laying at 22 weeks.)

I have 16 others... 6 are 21 weeks, and 10 are 17 weeks. Only one of the 21 week olders is very much squatting, and it has been in the past two weeks. Her comb and wattles have really started turning red and growing. So have the wattles and combs of the other five, and actually, many of the younger ones are turning red and growing as well. Some of my Barred Rocks are squatting, too (they are 17 weeks), but nothing!! It is really hard waiting this long, especially with it getting into fall.

Have any of you had chickens start laying in October/November/December??



If I were to do this again, I would try and get baby chicks in winter so that they might start laying in July or so.

We keep singing to them to lay eggs, but still nada!

I have that could start laying any day and 4 that should start November/December
We don't light the coop and I am still holding on to hope that they will start laying when they should. I would be interested to know if others have had chickens start laying in Oct/Nov/Dec too.

 

[Blooie]

Raising chickens would be so much easier if they took a little time to read the books and cruise this forum.

 

[Kassafrass]

Haha! Too true!!!

 

[Laurissa]

Hi everyone! With my ladies, only about 2 out of 6 are squatting. But the squatting didn't start for a couple weeks after they started laying. My other 4 haven't squatted yet. So I think it depends on the pullet. I will say watch her wattles.. you will notice them getting larger and they'll be hanging down farther. Also her comb well become more red then it has been. Once you notice the wattles growing.. your eggs will be waiting in that nest for you soon (hoping she'll lay in the nest with her 1st egg, put some golf balls in the nests now, before they have started laying and she'll know right where that 1st egg should go) I hope this helps :-D

 

[happydog]

My sister's hens squat for her every day and she spends a few minutes rubbing each one. I thought it was just a sign of submission, but she says that her rubbing them is stimulating them to lay more eggs, and double yolkers too. Is there really a correlation or is she imagining it?

Now I'll have to add "butt rub" to my to-do list.

 

[iPeanut1990]

I have 3 RIRs. 1 started laying at 18 weeks. They are now 20 weeks. Still waiting on eggs from the other 2!

 

[Blooie]

My sister's hens squat for her every day and she spends a few minutes rubbing each one. I thought it was just a sign of submission, but she says that her rubbing them is stimulating them to lay more eggs, and double yolkers too. Is there really a correlation or is she imagining it?

Now I'll have to add "butt rub" to my to-do list.

I took that OFF my to-do list when I finally cleared up the last chick that had pasty butt.