14 Week Pullet Singing the Egg Song

[ChickieChickieMama]

Funny update (I have another post about it so I won't go into too much detail) but I heard her singing again today so I rushed outside and found one of the big sparkly blue decoupage eggs from a chandelier decoration i made for the coop, nestled up in the same nesting box Celine was in yesterday!!!

Incidentally, the egg was accessible to her from where she was standing last time to sing her egg song.

Do you think she saw the eggs and was just claiming them as her own? Is she trying to trick me or is she confused? I've got half a mind to think someone is pulling an elaborate prank on me at this point!!!

 

[Shadrach]

Would she really be calling for a rooster if she wasn't mature enough yet to lay? I wasn't trying to be dismissive with my last post, I am new to rooster dynamics....these boys I have were accidental!

Would she really be calling for a rooster if she wasn't mature enough yet to lay? I wasn't trying to be dismissive with my last post, I am new to rooster dynamics....these boys I have were accidental!

What people call the egg song is pretty unmistakable for any other call. It’s possible your hen is making another call, I would need a recording to be more certain.
It doesn’t seem to matter if there is or isn’t a rooster. When the hen matures enough to lay eggs, or close t it I can’t see any reason why they shouldn't make the call.
Rather than type, or copy and paste an explanation there is one in this thread.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...th-mutiple-coops.1264145/page-3#post-20307463
A point not made very well in the link is when the hen calls for an escort after laying an egg her rooster, if he responds quickly enough is first to get the opportunity to fertilise the next egg.

 

[ChickieChickieMama]

What people call the egg song is pretty unmistakable for any other call. It’s possible your hen is making another call, I would need a recording to be more certain.
It doesn’t seem to matter if there is or isn’t a rooster. When the hen matures enough to lay eggs, or close t it I can’t see any reason why they shouldn't make the call.
Rather than type, or copy and paste an explanation there is one in this thread.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...th-mutiple-coops.1264145/page-3#post-20307463
A point not made very well in the link is when the hen calls for an escort after laying an egg her rooster, if he responds quickly enough is first to get the opportunity to fertilise the next egg.

Wow, that is a fascinating thread and you are on a fascinating journey! Thank you for sharing that with me! (Incidentally, I have had some experiences with my flock which support some of your theories, especially with chickens naturally developing clans based on their physical appearances, as well as the protective and supportive behaviour of our head rooster with his chosen hens.) In fact, the spot where Celine has been singing the egg song from (it's unmistakable to me, exactly the same as the older girls sing it) is where my head cockerel paces nervously like the expectant dad he is, while his two chosen girls lay their eggs. He hops up there after kicking all the younger pullets out of the coop when one of his ladies wants to lay, then paces while she gets comfortable (and her sister waits her turn outside the box). When the both are close to done, he runs to heard all of the flock back into the coop, and his ladies sing the egg song together. It seems as if he's proudly showing off his new baby to the whole flock and celebrating his hens' accomplishments...though that's likely me just putting those human emotions on them.

I guess my big question with my hen in question, Celine, is that she is still so young and I have never known a pullet to enter this phase of her life at such a young age, though it seems that my chicks that I have raised here have all matured faster than I had anticipated they would based on common wisdom.

The Discovery of her found blue egg really was a shock to me. I don't know at all how to interpret her stealing that egg (to be fair, I didn't see her steal it but somebody did, and she was the one being vocal about it and preparing a nest, so all signs point to her). Have you ever known a hen to steal others' eggs and try to claim them as her own??!?

I know, none of this matters in the scheme of things, and she will eventually begin to lay her eggs sooner or later, but these chickies and their behaviours are absolutely fascinating to me so I love to try to understand why they are doing what they are doing

 

[Shadrach]

Wow, that is a fascinating thread and you are on a fascinating journey! Thank you for sharing that with me! (Incidentally, I have had some experiences with my flock which support some of your theories, especially with chickens naturally developing clans based on their physical appearances, as well as the protective and supportive behaviour of our head rooster with his chosen hens.) In fact, the spot where Celine has been singing the egg song from (it's unmistakable to me, exactly the same as the older girls sing it) is where my head cockerel paces nervously like the expectant dad he is, while his two chosen girls lay their eggs. He hops up there after kicking all the younger pullets out of the coop when one of his ladies wants to lay, then paces while she gets comfortable (and her sister waits her turn outside the box). When the both are close to done, he runs to heard all of the flock back into the coop, and his ladies sing the egg song together. It seems as if he's proudly showing off his new baby to the whole flock and celebrating his hens' accomplishments...though that's likely me just putting those human emotions on them.

I guess my big question with my hen in question, Celine, is that she is still so young and I have never known a pullet to enter this phase of her life at such a young age, though it seems that my chicks that I have raised here have all matured faster than I had anticipated they would based on common wisdom.

The Discovery of her found blue egg really was a shock to me. I don't know at all how to interpret her stealing that egg (to be fair, I didn't see her steal it but somebody did, and she was the one being vocal about it and preparing a nest, so all signs point to her). Have you ever known a hen to steal others' eggs and try to claim them as her own??!?

I know, none of this matters in the scheme of things, and she will eventually begin to lay her eggs sooner or later, but these chickies and their behaviours are absolutely fascinating to me so I love to try to understand why they are doing what they are doing

I’ve had pullets here give the escort call before they’ve laid an egg, but not long before. I think they’ve learn't it from watching senior hens and realised that if they make the call they’ll get the roosters attention. Some pullets here seem to want full time attention and when I’ve had sister pullets one can’t help comparing their behaviour to human jealously.

As for your egg mystery….clueless.

I’m very interested in what you’ve observed with your chickens and would be very grateful if you could keep some sort of record of your observations and either make a post, a bit like a diary, or send them to me by private message when and if you have the time. A post would be good then others might write about what they’ve seen as well.

It’s surprisingly difficult to get people to actually observe their chickens closely enough to make behavioural observations for many reasons.