Beginning to Squat

[Laurissa]

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.

That makes sense to me.. when a Roo gets on her back that probably send signals to lay, and reproduce.. so touching a hens back may send the same signals, hench more egg laying. Lol just a thought

 

[patti17340]

I have some squatters and some still won't let me near them. I am getting 3 baby eggs a day . I have 12 who should be starting to lay so I am looking at next week to be my turning point. They all came at the same time so they all should start laying .

 

[lightchick]

I had one girl start laying before she started squatting and another start squatting a few weeks before laying. My Brown sex link was the first to lay at 19.5 weeks and my Black sex link just started at 23 weeks. Even though I'm getting eggs I don't hear any egg song! I've even seen my girls lay and they just walk off and don't make a noise.

I can't wait for my Australorp and Silkie to start!

 

[beachnutx6]

I have a variety of birds(8 total), all almost 23 weeks old. One of my dominiques started squatting about 3 weeks ago - she started laying an egg/day for the last 9 days! I have one other that is just squatting. Both are very clingy to me and vocal - is that what you mean by "singing??" They just sound like chickens, but won't shut up!

 

[sunflour]

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!

One of my BO born March 11, 2013 didn't lay her first egg until December 10, 2013…and even with the very first are always heavy extra large eggs.
The older they are at first egg, the larger eggs will be throughout their laying years - so I have read.
All of mine are the same age, 3 BR + 3 BO laid all thru last winter…But I'm in Georgia and don't know if our weather makes a difference. But we had a record cold one last winter. Some even laid our coldest day of low 5 F - high 11 F.
I think it would be difficult to raise winter hatchlings and moving out to a cold climate?

 

[sunflour]

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?

It's a reflex to squat as if in submission for rooster, whether or not you do have a rooster in the flock or not - as I don't.
To see if they squat, touch their back, they'll squat down…It's a sign that they are maturing and hormones are surging.

 

[IttyBiddyRedHen]

Some of mine squat. Others don't. They lay when they are ready to lay. I do write that information down on the calendar, and add it all up at the end of the year.

I pretty much just observe the flock. In the main pen, I now have 30 birds.....6 laying hens-adult. 1 broody mama with her 5 babies., hatched August 4th. 7 juveniles-hatched July 7th. And 8 teenagers hatched May 5th.

Of the teenagers, 2 are pullets getting to POL-point of lay. No squatting...but their heads and combs are starting to turn red. Another POL pullet is a game mix. She is mostly to be a broody, and lay the eggs.

I don't really see very many of the adult hens squat. And they never squat for me. They climb in my lap and beg for food though.

It's all been a very interesting learning experience since we got chickens back in 2011.

 

[bantybabylover]

mine squatted a month before laying and were singing several weeks before, now we fill up the cartons. they are six to seven months old, one is a copper maran, a rosecomb, two red stars, a bsl and a brown leghorn. a couple more ihavent caught in the act yet

 

[AKNan]

My hens are 23 weeks old and only one has started to squat around me, she is a Buff Orpington as shown in the photo. She is not laying however it's been another hen Mave who is an Easter Egger. She has layed an egg a day for 17 days. Two of the eggs had no shell and the eggs are quite small and a pretty greenish blue color.

 

[chickenlover432]

Do they all squat? Mine certainly didn't.