[carolbriar]

My hens are about 27/28 weeks old now and no eggs yet.  However, on three different occasions (0nce the other day, once yesterday and once today), I have seen one of the girls appear to squat down when one of the other hens came near her.  It was as if she thought she was going to be pecked and squatted.  I am 99.9% certain all 5 are girls.  Are these her first squats or is she just making herself smaller as she thinks she will be pecked?  I really hope its her first squats but don't want to get my hopes up in case

[Roughlee Handled]

Is she holding her wings out slightly as if to balance herself?  Does she do this for you?

[carolbriar]

I don't think she held her wings out to balance.  She has never done it for me either!  On all occasions I have been watching from a distance.  Is holding the wings out something they do when they squat properly?  It sounds as if it was wishful thinking on my part.

[Roughlee Handled]

They tend to put there wings out slightly and wobble slightly.  You will know when its time.

[Bonniebean]

Being fairly new to keeping hens I had to work things out by watching and asking on this forum. I found my bantam squatted quite readily to me and if I put my hand out flat to her she goes down (not flat) and puts her "shoulders out" - best way I can describe it! My gold laced wyandotte has done it twice and finally laid her first egg today, and my brown porcelain squatted for me for the first time yesterday. I found the best thing to look for was the colour in their combs and wattles - they go very red when they are coming into lay.

[carolbriar]

I am totally new to hens - these are my first.  The Light Sussex that I thought was squatting has the reddest comb and wattles.  If I had to guess, I would have said she would be the first to lay.  I haven't put any photos on the forum yet as I have been trying to take some showing how red or otherwise their combs are.  The trouble is, they don't keep still for very long and I end up with just a bottom or the head has turned away etc.  I also need to work out how to make them small enough to put them on!

[jackie]

i'm quite new to this as well but i found when i was feeding them corn in the afternoon, as they were eating out of my hands, i tried stroking them. some were squatting, within a couple of weeks, they started laying. four our of my seven are laying now. Got my chooks in november and i just love collecting the eggs every morning

[chuckie.egg]

Why do they squat... I thought it was something they did when a cockerel was nearby? 

[carolbriar]

I have definately had a couple of squats when I've tried stroking one of my other girls.  Most of the time she runs away but if I am close enough she squats down and I stroke her a couple of times.  She pushes her wings out slightly and crouches down.  As someone said, you will know when they do it and yes, she has, so hopefully in a week or two? Her comb and wattles are red and have been for a little while.

[carolbriar]

One of my other girls squatted for me today for the first time!!  She has the lightest comb and wattles so would be a bit surprised if she is ready to lay. 

I would ask the same as chuckie.egg - why do they squat??? What is it about the squatting that makes them closer to laying?

[joyfull]

they squat for you as they think of you as the cockerel and they are in the ready position for you to do your stuff        

[carolbriar]

Poor girls!