Hens behavior after laying/getting sweeter

[0kcupid]

I’m raising my first little bantam flock and am loving seeing all my chicks personalities blossom! I’ve hand raised them and they are extremely docile/accepting of some cuddling, but sometimes are skittish and weary.

If they stayed this way forever, I’d be thrilled to have such sweet feathered companions. But, I keep reading about how hens will sweeten up after laying. I’m so curious about this difference and couldn’t find threads specifically about this. I’d love to hear folks’ experience with personality changes/“sweetening” after laying

Cuddle muffin pix accepted as well

 

[SilverBirds]

For the first few weeks, chicks are super snuggly. Then they kinda go through their "teenage faze". They have patches of fluffy feathers and new big bird feathers growing in and they just look like a hot mess! Their still sweet at this age, but are a little more flighty. They learn how to be real chickens and are figuring out the pecking order and who's the boss. Once the mature and start laying eggs, they settle back down.

 

[SilverBirds]

Your little friend is also super adorable!

 

[K0k0shka]

Mine were all hand-raised and very socialized. I have a couple of generations. I haven't noticed any "sweetening" as they start to lay. Maybe that's true for more skittish chickens? Mine were already very sweet, so there has been no change in that regard. What I do notice, however, is that as they age, they get less likely to climb all over my body and to pile up in my lap to snuggle. But that's an age thing - as they mature, they stop forming puppy piles with each other, too. And it's not related to laying per se, just growing up in general. They still seek my company and will sit on or next to me to groom themselves or just hang out, it's just that they won't climb/fly up to my shoulder to do that anymore, or try to all pile themselves up in my lap at the same time.

What people might be noticing and calling "sweetening" is that when some chickens start to lay, they also start squatting for their people as an automatic response. This makes it easier to pet the chicken or pick her up, where before that she might have fled. This response can be interpreted as being more "sweet" (docile), when in fact it's just an instinct. Not all chickens squat though, even when mature and laying, or they may squat for the rooster and dominant hens but not for humans (I have some of each variety).

 

[0kcupid]

Can’t wait to see if I notice any changes! Also can’t wait for eggs