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what the heck are my chickens doing?

Discussion in 'Chicken Behaviors and Egglaying' started by jakeinater, Dec 2, 2014.

Most Liked Posts
  1. Dec 2, 2014 #1
    jakeinater

    jakeinater Hatching

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    Jun 11, 2014
    victoria bc canada
    So I have 18 chickens and recently 3 of them have been acting strange around me. Every time I get near them the squat down and hunch what looks like their shoulder blades back and freeze, its the weirdest thing! Are they scared of me or something? They are 2 Rhode island reds and a Columbian rock
     
  2. Dec 3, 2014 #2
    The Colonel

    The Colonel Songster

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    Mar 23, 2014
    Middle TN
    Sounds like the submissive squat to me. Are they laying yet? If not they're getting ready to.
     
  3. Dec 3, 2014 #3
    krista74

    krista74 Songster

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    Jun 4, 2014
    Victoria, Australia.
    Isn't it cute!

    Yes, it is known as the submissive squat, and as @The Colonel says, it's often a sign that they are gearing up to start laying.

    They will also squat for a rooster as an indication that they accept his advances to mate.

    If you give them a nice big pat/rub on their backs when they squat they will fluff their feathers up as they walk away, exactly as they would if a rooster had mated them.

    - Krista
     

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