Chicken personality change when she started laying!

[MIchickenlady]

Hi everyone!
so my smallest chicken, Tiny, a 26 week old Buff Orpington, started laying last week.
She has been at the bottom of the pecking order, very standoffish, when I give treats she hangs back or gets crowded out. It has always been this way with her. (I watch and make sure she gets her share).
Well since she started laying last week, she has gone from a wall flower to a take charge chicken-woman! lol No kidding! She gets in there, shes vocal, she gets on my lap and gets right in my face now, very sweet, but not hanging back anymore!! Its a 180 for sure.
Is this typical, for hens to have a behavior change when they start laying?
Its pretty great to see actually Go Tiny!!!

 

[chuckachucka]

This can happen. It's quite common for pullets to become more confident when they reach maturity, I think. Sometimes this means a previously skittish chick can become friendly or a placid chick can become aggressive. It's similar to how cockerels' personalities can change with the effects of hormones...and humans fir that matter!

 

[sourland]

Ever deal with a teen age daughter in puberty ? It's all about the hormones.

 

[aart]

Is this typical, for hens to have a behavior change when they start laying?

Yeppers!!
Don't let her get 'pecky' with you.

 

[MIchickenlady]

Ever deal with a teen age daughter in puberty ? It's all about the hormones.

oh, for sure! lok

 

[jeria]

My barred rock Tillie, is getting friendlier since she started laying. My 2 EE's beg to be picked up and cuddled, one is an attention hog and gets jealous. Tillie has always acted like she wanted attention but then would scoot away. Now she is happy to be picked up for a minute and likes to be petted.

 

[aart]

My barred rock Tillie, is getting friendlier since she started laying. My 2 EE's beg to be picked up and cuddled, one is an attention hog and gets jealous. Tillie has always acted like she wanted attention but then would scoot away. Now she is happy to be picked up for a minute and likes to be petted.

I had the same thing happen, with 2 light Brahmas that hated to be touched or held as chicks no matter how much I tried to acclimate them. Floored me when they started coming up and standing still to be touched and picked up. One got over it pretty quick and the other eventually did too, but it was kinda neat while it lasted.

 

[jeria]

I had the same thing happen, with 2 light Brahmas that hated to be touched or held as chicks no matter how much I tried to acclimate them. Floored me when they started coming up and standing still to be touched and picked up. One got over it pretty quick and the other eventually did too, but it was kinda neat while it lasted.

Aart, it is funny she liked to be picked up and snuggled when she was really tiny, I thought she would be the friendliest. Then as she started getting feathers she was like "Don't touch me!!" Chickens are soo funny. Well out to check on my feathery friends.

 

[Ridgerunner]

When mine start to lay is when they mature. They go from being afraid of the adults to being able to force their way into the pecking order. They start roosting with the adults at night instead of staying away from them. They start eating with the adults and hanging out with them instead of forming a sub-flock.

There is a personality change when they start to lay. How they interact with the flock changes, sounds like you are part of the flock.