Egg laying crouch?

[tiny529]

What does the egg-laying crouch look like? Do they kind of spread their wings out at the shoulder when you go to pet them? My least friendly chicken started doing that and I assumed that she was trying to make herself look bigger. Now my two friendliest have started doing that, so I'm starting to wonder... =)

 

[gryeyes]

If you are referring to the "squat" maneuver (more nicely called "the curtsy"), it does look something like that. They crouch and sort of hold their shoulders out a bit, not fully opening their wings very much. They sort of hold them out and down to the ground. Sometimes they will stamp their feet, too.

It's a gesture of submission. In nature, it's submitting to the rooster, so he can mount them more easily.

When my girls curtsy to me, I give 'em a little skritch at the shoulders, another skritch at the base of their tailfeathers, and then a pat on their backs, telling them "Good girls!"

They'll straighten back up and fluff up their feathers afterward. (That moves the rooster's sperm up into their bodies where it will fertilize their eggs.) I prefer to think it's their way of getting rid of "bed feathers" so nobody knows what hussies they are!

 

[tiny529]

Awesome! I guess I will be getting some more eggs soon! I'll try the skritch next time. I thought it was so funny when Trixie started it (she used to run away squawking whenever I tried to touch her) that I'd gently tickle her under her wings. =) Trixie has been my only egg layer so far so I've been wondering when the others would join in.

If you are referring to the "squat" maneuver (more nicely called "the curtsy"), it does look something like that. They crouch and sort of hold their shoulders out a bit, not fully opening their wings very much. They sort of hold them out and down to the ground. Sometimes they will stamp their feet, too.

It's a gesture of submission. In nature, it's submitting to the rooster, so he can mount them more easily.

When my girls curtsy to me, I give 'em a little skritch at the shoulders, another skritch at the base of their tailfeathers, and then a pat on their backs, telling them "Good girls!"

They'll straighten back up and fluff up their feathers afterward. (That moves the rooster's sperm up into their bodies where it will fertilize their eggs.) I prefer to think it's their way of getting rid of "bed feathers" so nobody knows what hussies they are!

 

[devora]

Do you have a rooster, tiny?? If not, and you want to be able to easily handle your chicks, you can use the squat to begin picking them up.

After they squat and you do the scritch on the back, you can usually pick them up and hold them for bit. Then put them down gently. After time and time of this, some of your flock will be more docile. It's nice for folks who like petting their birds!

 

[Mum]

Do you have a rooster, tiny?? If not, and you want to be able to easily handle your chicks, you can use the squat to begin picking them up.

After they squat and you do the scritch on the back, you can usually pick them up and hold them for bit. Then put them down gently. After time and time of this, some of your flock will be more docile. It's nice for folks who like petting their birds!

x2