Squatting and Egg Songs...

[PorkChop]

We got 6 BO peeps in the spring which were our first chicks, we did have some Hamburgs previously but we got them when they were a year old and they were already laying eggs. So the BO's have been fun and new to us as we watch them grow. Well of course we have been anticipating eggs and I have read many times on BYC about squatting and know that only those here will understand our excitement.

Two of my BO's squatted just yesterday. I had opened the door to the run and all of the hens made their way out to scratch around except for Pot-Pie, she just stayed in the run so I went in to kind of scoot her out, putting my hand behind her to just get her going and she moved a few feet and squatted. I scratched her back and called for my wife to show her, my wife picked her up and took her out with the other girls. Funny because Pot-Pie kept going back to my wife and just wanted to be held like a puppy, these silly chickens.

Then this morning after I opened the coop they all came out, shortly Pot-Pie was doing the egg song. I know this song from our Hamburgs... I think we are getting closer to egg laying. We also noticed how several of them their cones and waddles are bigger and brighter than the others.

These BO's are so much bigger than our Hamburgs and so much more calmer, easy going, friendly, run to you when you call them, big beautiful birds and have been so fun watching them grow. Anyway I just wanted to share our excitement with you all, we should be getting some eggs soon.

 

[Mommy 2 Wee Ones]

Your BO's are beautiful. Shows me how much longer my BO have to grow before they are close to laying. My combs & waddles are still pink and small. But I heard they were late bloomers, and only 18 weeks. Still shooting for around Thanksgiving for my first egg.
Good Luck & lots of eggies soon.

 

[Kaeta44]

Some breeds of chickens are friendlier than others. And even within the same breed, one chicken can be friendlier than another. We have a couple of Araucanas - one loves being picked up and stroked, the other can't stand it. Both our Polish bantams are happy to be handled and so is our Light Sussex, but our Rhode Island Red and Lavender Orpington can't stand it.

http://muckycluckers.blogspot.com/

 

[flocksalot]

I just had to laugh!

BO are hugh compared to Hamburgs, actually my parrots are hugh compared to my Hamburgs. We have 8 Hamburg hens and 1 roo (our little Napoleon) and even the leghorns and minorcas are twice their size. The egg size is going to be so much bigger too! Our Hamburgs have never squatted for us, not like all the other chickens we have. As a matter of fact they don't even really look like a chicken, but they sure are funny. Every night we go over to the tree near the coop and say "Waldo go home or there's gonna be a whole lotta shakin goin on." That usually gets her, but when she's stubborn we just shake her our and off to bed she goes. I love the way they flare their tails and fan their wings out. Really pretty and something none of our other kinds of chickens can do. Our BO lays a hugh egg and did almost from the start. Her first egg was so long and skinny! I love those first eggs! We currently have 20 that have been laying about a month and now the next batch of 23 that are about 18 weeks are just getting started. My 7 year old was saving all the little eggs for himself until he realized he couldn't eat that many! Here's to your young girls and their new egg laying abilities

I've decided I know longer hate my leghorns as all the young girls are coming to me looking for a place to lay an egg. They know something is changing and they just don't know what it is, so instead of being flighty little cannibals they are sweet and want to be held. What a difference!

Our two older girls (started laying at 14 weeks are currently 25 weeks) still like to be held, but mostly they are busy foraging and if you are holding them they are missing out on some bugs. I like the larger birds like the BO as they stay that sweet loveable way. Rosie one of our RIR is missing her Alex as school just stated and she seems quit lost without him carrying her all over the place. Twice she has come all the way up to the back garden (about 1/2 mile braving walking past the guard geese and ducks) looking for him. She sits ontop of the 4 wheeler and quitely clucks for him. When the bus drops him off she makes a bee line for him. One of these days she's gonna climb onto the bus looking for him.

 

[spacecowgirl]

Gorgeous birds!!!! What a joy to have such friendly chickens.

Good luck with those eggs! Oh, and I usually don't say this about combs or wattles, but those are really pretty!! Haha!