Chickens going into heat?

[chickypeps]

So my two Dominique's are 5 1/2 months old now and getting to the egg laying stage and have been acting...well, horny. Like my cat before she got fixed. They'll run over to me, get low to the ground, fluff themselves up and stick their booty in the air. Anybody else have hens that do this? These are my oldest in the flock and my first flock, just wondering if this is normal...or are they just weird? Thanks!

 

[HEChicken]

Perfectly normal! It signifies that they are close to laying age. If you don't have a rooster, they see you as the rooster of the flock, so they are presenting themselves to you to be mated. In a flock where there is a rooster, the hens will almost never squat for people. If you reach down and scratch them vigorously in the area in front of the tail for a couple of seconds, they might stand up and shake - which is what they do after a real rooster has mated them.

You can probably expect eggs any time in the next couple of weeks.

 

[chickypeps]

Ah ha! Sounds great, thanks sooo much. Can't wait!!