New layer squatting A LOT. Is this normal?

[FrostRanger]

I have my first egg today!!! Yea!! What a moment!! She didn't use the nesting box. Is there something I need to do to provide any type of care for her?

Congrats! And no, there's nothing in particular you have to do, just make sure she has free choice oyster shell available. It's normal for a new layer to lay somewhere other than the nest box, give her a bit to figure things out. Fake eggs or golfballs certainly will help her to figure it out sooner though

 

[WingItRanch]

This thread is fascinating! I have a quick question. I have 11 pullets and 1 cockerel. I haven't seen any squatting but the cockerel has made some half hearted attempts at mating and I even caught him wing dancing around one particular girl a couple times. I've never seen the pullets squat. So will they for sure not squat for me since they have the cockerel?

For anyone else that may be curious, I have an answer to my question: will pullets will squat for you even though a cockerel is in the flock?

The answer is... some of them will! The cockerel takes care of most of them but the ones at the top of the pecking order don't squat for him. They actually challenge him a lot. But they'll squat for me! Thankfully, they only do it when they are inside the coop where the cockerel doesn't see. They run to the human door and squat when he's outside in the run. I'm kind of hoping he'll continue to be ignorant of them squatting for me because so far I've been really happy with his behavior. I would hate for him to see me as competition. So far, not a hint of aggressive.