What is this squatting you speak of?

[fatguyaz]

is it possible that the hens that are just beginning to show submission comes around the same time as egg laying? Coincidence? Conspiracy?

 

[Chookmitten]

Makes sense to me. Why should they "submit" to a rooster if they are not making eggs yet? Immature pullets have no biological reason to mate.

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

Ummm... my hens seem to be really strong willed. They show no sign of being submissive to the boys. The boys are figuring out what boy chickens are supposed to do with girl chickens, but the girls are having nothing to do with it whatsoever. It's quite the visual seeing Spot the banty roo hanging on for dear life to a standard hen's neck as she runs around in circles beating him with her flapping wings. And then there's Cheeto the massively overgrown buff roo. I caught him sitting on Dot the mille fleur d'uccle, the smallest banty ever. All you could see was this very disgruntled little face peeking out from his chest feathers. "Get OFF me you big oaf!"
Sigh. The boys are trying, but my little feminist pullets are refusing their advances and refusing to lay anything at all. Equal rights for pullets!! No corn, No eggs! Down with the facists!

I think they're just messing with me now...

 

[Chirpy]

Chookmitten said:

Makes sense to me. Why should they "submit" to a rooster if they are not making eggs yet? Immature pullets have no biological reason to mate.

Have you ever watched puppies, crias or other animals who are months or longer away from being biologically able to breed but still getting on top of each other and "doing the thing!" The desire to reproduce is inbred in all animals. They start 'learning' how to do it when they are very young, way too young to actually do it.​

 

[ams3651]

I only have one hen who does that and she is the one who is laying. It does appear to be related to submission but she didnt do it for the rooster till right before she started laying.

 

[Gindee77]

Quote:
I always thought that when dogs mount each other when they're puppies, they are showing dominance and it had nothing to do with mating. That's what the trainer at the obedience school told me when I was training all my dogs. That's why females do it too. If it was practice for mating, it would just be a male trait.

 

[leasmom]

Mine are cooped and don't come in contact with 'humans', they run when we're changing out their water, feed, or cleaning the coop. They're run is connected too, so how do I tell with them when I can't pet them? I have a Silkie, Old English Game Hen/Silkie mix, and RIR whose comb is slightly pink, more yellowish than pink though.

 

[PotterWatch]

The squat mine does is far different than just settling down to be petted. She spreads her wings a bit, raises her tail, and arches her neck. I'll try to get a pic of it when I got to let them out tomorrow.

 

[gotchooks?]

Quote:
This is what mine do too. It's very distinct. I had one crazy EE, no way anyone could catch her, let alone PET her. Well, one day, I go into the run to visit with my girls and she starts squatting...stops right in front of me (instead of running away), hunches down, tail in the air, head down, and wings held away from the body. She actually let me pat her on the back...I admit, I did pat her bottom too

at which point, she stood back up and shook herself off, ruffling her feathers...and ran away. Her first egg came 10 days later. She continued/continues to do this even now.

I'm far from a chicken expert, very far, but all my girls about to lay/laying do this.

~Jenn

 

[petitesphinx]

Oh, wow!

Two of my bigger hens just started squatting when I walk up to them. First it scared me and I thought something was wrong, but I just petted them and after a while, they got up and walke off...as to say.."Okay, that's enough!" hehe

I wondered WHY they were doing this. That's cool!! My other chickens RUN from me, though-only these 2 will let me pet them.