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crouching/cowering- why?

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when I go to stroke or cuddle my babies, sometimes they crouch down and sort of make cowering movements- is this some sort of submissive thing as they recognise me as top of the pecking order or are they scared of what I might be about to do to them!

 

As they get more used to me they seem to do it less and less but they do still do it sometimes and I just wondered what was going on in their heads?

 

Also, anyone who's had chickens for a long time, do theirs still do it even now?

 

Once they realise I'm not going to hurt them and just give them a tickle, they stop doing it but are they scared of me, is that what it's all about?

 

bear in mind they've had a rotten life up to now

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They see you as the highest in the pecking order. To them you are the "cockeral" they are crouching to let you "do your buisness :shock:" I don't know why, as I'm sure you don't resemble a cockeral at all! All of my girls do that appart for Lacey because she is way to much of a lady :lol: And Clover because she isnt laying yet. We had ours for over 3 months and they still crouch :roll:

 

xx

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They see you as the highest in the pecking order. To them you are the "cockeral" they are crouching to let you "do your buisness :shock:" I don't know why, as I'm sure you don't resemble a cockeral at all! All of my girls do that appart for Lacey because she is way to much of a lady :lol: And Clover because she isnt laying yet. We had ours for over 3 months and they still crouch :roll:

 

xx

 

 

:oops::shock:

 

well, I did ask! :lol: At least I know they're not scared of me!

 

thans for enlightening me! :lol:

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They see you as the highest in the pecking order. To them you are the "cockeral" they are crouching to let you "do your buisness :shock:" I don't know why, as I'm sure you don't resemble a cockeral at all! All of my girls do that appart for Lacey because she is way to much of a lady :lol: And Clover because she isnt laying yet. We had ours for over 3 months and they still crouch :roll:

 

xx

 

 

:oops::shock:

 

well, I did ask! :lol: At least I know they're not scared of me!

 

thans for enlightening me! :lol:

 

I like to give straight forward answers :lol:.

 

xx

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:lol: Most of mine do it - Jas crouches when I say "morning Jas" which is quite funny. My latest croucher is one of the Buff Sussex who did it today as I walked past her - and was still there 'assuming the position' when I came back from filling up the feeder :shock::lol: .

It's a good opportunity to lift them up and get them used to being handled :D

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Mine do the lapdancing thing when they are in-lay. Usually when I'm trotting down the gardent to get them all in the run - I nearly drop-kicked little Lucille once :shock:

 

As the others have said, it signals their receptiveness and that they are ready to lay. I've also seen the 'young ladies' in Banbury doing it on a Saturday night :roll:

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Do they still do this when they are not in laying season (purebreeds that is) My minutire orpington does this all the time, sometimes just bobs down and sticks her bum in the air, plus has all the red headgear, but its not the right time of year for her to start producing eggs, so will she stop doing this when it turns really cold?

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mine only crouch when they are ready to lay, During the Autumn moult, or if they are too young to lay, they won't do it. So its always nice to see the crouching start because it means that eggs will follow fairly soon.

 

None of mine have been crouching (Georgie is in moult and the others were too young before the moult and are still not laying at 26+ weeks) but Daisy started crouching a couple of days ago, and now does it when I go near her in the mornings.

 

So I reckon it will be eggs soon from Daisy - which will be great as our last egg was on 14th October (from Evil Georgie). We have actually had to buy eggs this year, for the first time for four years!

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