Houston, we have a squatter!

[Impress]

Until I started reading this forum regularly, I had no idea what squatting was. When my hens did it last year, I just kind of stared at them and walked away thinking they were being weird. This morning my female white bantam cochin was not in her usual group, so on the hunt I went, and when I went over to check on her, SQUAT! So as I have read here, I gave her a good hard back scratch and she walked off fluffing herself up. So this means eggs soon right? This little bantam cochin flock was a whim, I went to buy some Dominiques and saw these cute little fuzzies and grabbed four.

Eggs soon?

 

[savingpurple]

Mine did start the squat just before laying, and they all do it now. Sure makes picking them up easier

Also the combs and wattles turned bright, deep red also, just before.

 

[Impress]

She is looking red as well, yay! Last year was my first year having backyard chickens, and by the time I realized they were laying they had hidden a clutch of 28 behind the lid to my kids sandbox, which I had propped against the house, so paying attention to the when, why, and how is really interesting this year.

 

[project7030]

I about died laughing when I saw the title of you post!!! Mine have just started squatting and laying.

Andrea

 

[Happy Chooks]

Squatting is submission to the rooster (you) for mating. And yes, it means eggs soon.

 

[Impress]

Her comb was starting to get red, then it just stopped, but she is still squatting.

 

[mickeymousears]

I read about squating on here for the first time- laughing I read the post to my husband in a "yeah right" sort of way. No joke the next day my red started squating for me. Lol. I wanna say it took maybe 2 weeks from first squat to first egg.

 

[Buff-Island-Australorp]

Of the 3 breeds I have, RIR, BO, and BA.....my Black Australorps are the funniest to watch when they squat. When i approach one, (I have no rooster) they get really into it, and pat their feet on the ground really fast as they squat. I assume they think they've got to really brace themselves for an 8 second bull ride?
My other breeds just squat.

One thing that they all do though, is, after squatting, they all want to smoke a cigarette!