Squatting?

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Kelsey Gravelle

Kelsey Gravelle

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Hey there! We have 12 chickens and one of them is a roo. Recently I noticed our Sapphire gems and Buffs have been sort of squatting when I try to pick them up. Could this mean they will lay soon? Or is it submissiveness? They are 17 and 18 weeks old, because we got 4 a week later than the rest.
 
Kelsey Gravelle said:
Hey there! We have 12 chickens and one of them is a roo. Recently I noticed our Sapphire gems and Buffs have been sort of squatting when I try to pick them up. Could this mean they will lay soon? Or is it submissiveness? They are 17 and 18 weeks old, because we got 4 a week later than the rest.
Click to expand...

This makes me laugh, not at you, but because it's an odd looking behavior unless you're used to it and/or know what's going on :)

It is a form of submissiveness, but there's more to it: the chicks are becoming adults and are exhibiting instinctual behaviors associated with mating. When a rooster comes up behind a hen to mate with her, the hen will often (not always) squat to prepare for the rooster to mount them.

When you come down behind and over top of them, their instinct tells them to squat, and yes, it is an early sign that eggs are coming soon because they're moving from pullet status to hen status...
 
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