Buff Orpington - Tells me she's found food(like a rooster?)

[sbmcqueen]

So over the past couple of weeks, my Buff Orpington seems to have picked up some rooster behaviour? I've read about crowing, but that's not it. Sometime when she's free ranging, and she finds some nice food, she does the repeating "coo" sounds and tells me about it(like the rooster does). It's super adorable. Is this alpha hen behaviour?

Otherwise, might be top hen(?), but she's not really a bully in anyway. I've only seen her do the occasional peck if someone is where she wasn't to be on the roost. She is super chatty, and likes to chit-chat and also sings an egg song a few times a day

 

[jessejeanne]

I had a hen who would do that as a pullet, which made me think she was a rooster… she just turned out to be a feisty and more dominant hen xD

Do you have a rooster?
Sometimes hens tend to pick up more rooster-like behaviour if there is no rooster around.

 

[aart]

I've heard many a hen do that.

 

[sbmcqueen]

There is a rooster. Though, he's maybe not the best fooder finder.

Sometime he calls the ladies over for twigs or pieces of cardboard, and they look at him like "nope...that's not food".

 

[tofuflower]

She is super chatty, and likes to chit-chat and also sings an egg song a few times a day

Separate question, have you been able to tell why she sings an egg song multiple time a day? I suspect mine are doing it to find another hen (or me) when it's not after laying an egg.

I agree, that coo sound is so cute! Maybe she is offering it to you as a present?

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

Separate question, have you been able to tell why she sings an egg song multiple time a day? I suspect mine are doing it to find another hen (or me) when it's not after laying an egg.

I agree, that coo sound is so cute! Maybe she is offering it to you as a present?

I know I am a bit late for an answer, but your reply was not made too long ago so I will explain. When a female does an egg song, other females in the flock will begin doing an egg song with her, which is probably the case of why your hen is calling the egg song a few times a day. Female chickens do egg song before and after they lay an egg.

 

[tofuflower]

No worries for the delay! I was doing a search query and didn't realize how old this thread was.

Ah, I didn't realize the song was before an egg laying too. I just followed my hen today after she sang, and she was searching for a new nest to lay in. I also recently noticed one hen started chiming in when a chicken across the street started going! I guess this means if there's a big enough flock, egg songs can go on all day like singing a round?

How's your 'top' hen doing? I noticed our top hen acts like a rooster in that she makes the bak bak bakkk alarmed noise (that I only heard roosters do) whenever she hears something alarming (cat or mongoose). She seems to be the only hen that notices potential predators!

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

No worries for the delay! I was doing a search query and didn't realize how old this thread was.

Ah, I didn't realize the song was before an egg laying too. I just followed my hen today after she sang, and she was searching for a new nest to lay in. I also recently noticed one hen started chiming in when a chicken across the street started going! I guess this means if there's a big enough flock, egg songs can go on all day like singing a round?

How's your 'top' hen doing? I noticed our top hen acts like a rooster in that she makes the bak bak bakkk alarmed noise (that I only heard roosters do) whenever she hears something alarming (cat or mongoose). She seems to be the only hen that notices potential predators!

Hens also make warning calls when a potential predator approaches, it is not uncommon to hear－they just don't bother doing it if the flock has a rooster that is watching over them. When a flock has no rooster, the most dominant hen will take the place of a male for protection reasons. She may begin watching over other females like a male would do, and even going as far as crowing and mounting the hens. I have personally never experienced the mounting part, but I have had hens of mine randomly crow once or twice even though I have plenty of males around.

 

[aart]

Hens also make warning calls when a potential predator approaches, it is not uncommon to hear

Yes, the alarm call is rather similar to the 'egg song'.
I've had any member of the flock sound off with it, even with a male in the flock.