Silkie Squatting Behaviour

[Ponypoor]

I have three ~20 week old Silkies. The one who is a Silkie/Cochin cross started laying a couple weeks ago, I was sure she was a Rooster till one day about a month ago I went to pick her up and she did this squatting 'thing'. At first it startled me (being new to chickens) but realized it was the 'squatting behaviour' of a hen, and thus was happy my Rooster was actually a Hen, a short while later she laid her first egg.

Now the two other Silkies are doing the same behaviour, I was under the impression that Silkies didn't lay eggs until at least 7 months of age, could these two be mimicking the behaviour of the other hen? They are both also squawking like the Silkie/Cochin does before she lays her egg each day - makes me wonder if they are just playing being 'grown-up'. Anyone have experience with Silkies and this behaviour?

 

[sourland]

Onset of egglaying can vary greatly in silkies depending upon individual strains. Hatchery bred birds, in my experience, tend to lay earlier and more frequently.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Agree silkie egg laying age varies greatly. Squatting behavior means that egg laying is imminent but this can also vary. I have had birds lay without ever squatting and others that start doing this weeks and even over a month before laying an egg.

 

[Ponypoor]

My frizzle silkie was checking out the nest box while I was revamping the Hen House this afternoon; they seem to enjoy watching me slave and slug for both them and the horses. Using the round saw, hammering and drilling is something they seem to find really fascinating, they all come and drop by to see what I am up to.

I think Miss Curly thought I was make a new nesting box just for her haha - maybe gave her some ideas.

 

[Ponypoor]

Today I caught my other Silkie in the nest box checking it out. But was totally uninterested when I tried to 'show' her the egg that Henny-Penny laid in the nest box later on. Fickle ladies! Henny laid her first egg on my hay pile I store in a stall for the horses, hopefully these two others will put their little nuggets in the nesting box haha!