question about hen behavior when one is getting ready to lay for first time

[CRNA06]

Hello! My Isa Brown is approximately 5 months old. She has been squatting when I pet her for a couple of weeks now and poking around the nesting boxes frequently. Today, though, she hopped in one and the other hens, 6 total 5 of which have been laying for about 7 months, all joined her in the coop and sat on the floor, all silent as can be. This lasted about 20 minutes. There were already 5 eggs in the box but she jumped on them when I went to collect them. I heard what sounded like an egg dropping, waited for her to get out. Then all 7 hung out clucking away for awhile. When they cleared the coop, I still only had the 5 eggs. When my other hens lay, they do it alone and the girls hang out in the yard. Is this typical behavior I witnessed today with a first time layer (that didn't really lay)?

 

[aart]

Yep.
Sometimes they have cheerleaders...and have to practice before laying.

 

[klyra]

Yep.
Sometimes they have cheerleaders...and have to practice before laying.

that's so awesome

 

[CRNA06]

Thanks! I had read that they would get more vocal when they are ready to lay, so the silence kind of weirded me out

And the audience since they had never done that before.