I got several breeds of laying hens to make sure I could have at least a few quiet birds in the end. I researched the typically quiet breeds-breeds that are friendly and bear confinement well (chicken tractor inmates)...So I got an Australorp, a red and black star layer, a cornish and a rhode island red. The Australorp was supposed to be the quietest-but her egg song-which starts hours before she lays (she does this hopping in&out of the nest box dance for hours) is terrible! It sounds like she is dying-None of the other egg songs from the birds are like that-they are quieter and much shorter and correspond to the laying of an egg. My birds have been laying for 8 days now-some for less-but I think everyone has laid at least once-and the Australorp has been laying the longest. Will her behavior change or should I eat her? I wish I could keep a good layer like her-but the sounds are incredibly outlandish by comparison. Do the egg songs change? Is she possibly uncomfortable or maybe a little ADD? Ugh-I'm a few days away from a chicken dinner if this doesn't change.