crouching chickens

[melissas]

My Buff's just started doing this, too! Otherwise they don't like for me to touch or pet them at all, so I just give 'em a little back scratch when they do it. Great idea about teaching them to sit! I think they are WAY smarter than folks give them credit for! They are so cute and funny! Does anyone know if this action actually increases egg production? Mine just started laying last week. We've gotten about 8 eggs out of 7 hens so far! Whoo hoo!

 

[kittykorat]

LOLing at this thread! Love the sit command idea!

TeaKettle- Love your Avatar- I'm always NAKing.. (Nursing at the keyboard) It's my computer break.

 

[babyblue]

my hens do that for all humans. even the 3 year old. poor chickens cant understand that when they squat and hold still the 3 year old will pick them up and snuggle them.

 

[rachelbinnc]

I have two little girls who have always been so shy. Now that they started laying, they do the squat thing and are shocked when we pick them up for a quick cuddle. I don't think that's the kind of lovin' they were after! Anyway, just add it to the seemingly endless list of weird-cute qualities chickens possess.

 

[Hotelclepto]

That is sooo awesome. One of my Buffs did this this morning and let me per her but I didn't know what it meant. My chickens are four months old

 

[Bellacoby]

wow!! I continually learn about these hens. Mine have been doing this too and we just started getting eggs last week! Very funny how they fluff up after you pet them! I have 3, and only one seems to be doing this so far.

 

[gryeyes]

wow!! I continually learn about these hens. Mine have been doing this too and we just started getting eggs last week! Very funny how they fluff up after you pet them! I have 3, and only one seems to be doing this so far.

although I know why they "fluff up" afterwards, I prefer to think they just don't want the other hens to see them in "bed feathers." (the feather fluffing is an instinctual response, serving to move sperm up into their bodies for fertilization.)

 

[jesther]

Thanks all for the great info on this. I went to other randomly found sites (Google, you are amazing!) for an answer and none had the great info I found here. I'm TOTALLY going to try the "sit" command, just to mess with my non-chicken owning friends when they come over to visit: "I taught my chicken to sit, just like a dog"

 

[LogCabinChicks]

Thanks all for the great info on this. I went to other randomly found sites (Google, you are amazing!) for an answer and none had the great info I found here. I'm TOTALLY going to try the "sit" command, just to mess with my non-chicken owning friends when they come over to visit: "I taught my chicken to sit, just like a dog"

 

[Zetspets]

That is sooo awesome. One of my Buffs did this this morning and let me per her but I didn't know what it meant. My chickens are four months old

My Buffs are 5 months old and one that has started this behavior I could have sworn was a rooster. She is so big and markings are more like a rooster. When I pick her up after this behavior her hackles go up and it takes a bit of petting her neck to get her back to normal. She has usually bit and attack me before out in the run. I'm an old Grandmotherly type,- I never would have suspected that this was a sexual behavior. Thanks every one for the info.