19 and a half weeks old and still no eggs :( egg countdown anyone??

[LeslieDJoyce]

Ok I have a question. What does the egg song sound like? I have a hen, which I'm 99% positive that is a hen, she is also a silver campine. She has grown a large comb (for her size) and wattles and they are bright red. She has been growing them for I would say about a month, the comb and wattles came in very quickly. All of the sudden she has started screeching and its usually once or twice a day for the last few days. It almost sounds like a cat in heat. At first I really thought there was a cat outside screeching. She will go on and on for maybe 10-15 minutes screeching. Would it be the egg song I'm looking for? Do campines screech like that when they sing the egg song?

Egg song: bok bok bok bok bok bok bok bok BeGOKKKK!, bok bok bok bok bok bok bok bok BeGOKKKK!, etc. This can go on for several minutes and can be very loud. Louder than a rooster crowing. It starts either right after they lay an egg, or a few minutes later. Sometimes a hen skips the song ... gets up from the nesting box with a shy little bok and sneaks away. Sometimes a bossy hen who wants her turn at a particular nest that is in use will stand outside and sing the song as if she is trying to trick the hen who is hard at work into thinking she has already finished.

Our flock started the egg song a few days or so before they started laying.

It isn't unusual to find first eggs in odd places. Even now sometimes we find an egg in a random spot. But clearly they prefer the nesting boxes. We gave them nesting boxes the day after they started laying, and they started using them right away.

 

[blondiebee181]

Egg song: bok bok bok bok bok bok bok bok BeGOKKKK!, bok bok bok bok bok bok bok bok BeGOKKKK!, etc. This can go on for several minutes and can be very loud. Louder than a rooster crowing. It starts either right after they lay an egg, or a few minutes later. Sometimes a hen skips the song ... gets up from the nesting box with a shy little bok and sneaks away. Sometimes a bossy hen who wants her turn at a particular nest that is in use will stand outside and sing the song as if she is trying to trick the hen who is hard at work into thinking she has already finished.

Our flock started the egg song a few days or so before they started laying.

It isn't unusual to find first eggs in odd places. Even now sometimes we find an egg in a random spot. But clearly they prefer the nesting boxes. We gave them nesting boxes the day after they started laying, and they started using them right away.

Oh, yes

That's the egg song alright! It's especially funny when one of them gets the others going and then you have an egg song opera going! LOLOLOL

 

[blondiebee181]

LOL!

My Noodle laid her first egg and then didn't lay her second for a whole week. Now I've gotten 4 eggs in the last 2 days, some of them with no shell. I think someone else is laying too but I have no idea who! Twice-whoever it is-has laid them up on the roost. I've got a mystery on my hands.

Make sure your girls are getting enough calcium, that should help with the soft-shell problem, but as Leslie said, first eggs ae always a bit wierd...

 

[milo1108]

How old was your silver campine when it laid it's first egg? I have a gold campine. She's 22 weeks old but hasn't developed her comb yet. I was just wondering how much longer I'm going to have to wait.

Othello is about 25 weeks but it is only an approx age. When I got her she was about 18 weeks. She grew her comb fairly fast though when it did start growing. Now I have a buttercup that I'm unsure of what its deal is. I don't know if it is just not going to lay or is just a roo but it hasn't crowed so who knows. I thought they were supposed to lay quickly.

LOL!

My Noodle laid her first egg and then didn't lay her second for a whole week. Now I've gotten 4 eggs in the last 2 days, some of them with no shell. I think someone else is laying too but I have no idea who! Twice-whoever it is-has laid them up on the roost. I've got a mystery on my hands.

Ok I was thinking I was crazy cuz I can't find an egg today. I guess Othello is trying to figure out the best spot to hide them.

 

[milo1108]

Egg song: bok bok bok bok bok bok bok bok BeGOKKKK!, bok bok bok bok bok bok bok bok BeGOKKKK!, etc. This can go on for several minutes and can be very loud. Louder than a rooster crowing. It starts either right after they lay an egg, or a few minutes later. Sometimes a hen skips the song ... gets up from the nesting box with a shy little bok and sneaks away. Sometimes a bossy hen who wants her turn at a particular nest that is in use will stand outside and sing the song as if she is trying to trick the hen who is hard at work into thinking she has already finished.

Our flock started the egg song a few days or so before they started laying.

It isn't unusual to find first eggs in odd places. Even now sometimes we find an egg in a random spot. But clearly they prefer the nesting boxes. We gave them nesting boxes the day after they started laying, and they started using them right away.

Ok I'm going to guess that she is singing the egg song. It was just weird because it sounded like this: SCREEECH screeeech SCREEEEECH screech. She has never reallly made any bok bok noises more of like screeches. I guess thats what campines do. lol.

 

[blondiebee181]

Ok I'm going to guess that she is singing the egg song. It was just weird because it sounded like this: SCREEECH screeeech SCREEEEECH screech. She has never reallly made any bok bok noises more of like screeches. I guess thats what campines do. lol.

I have a Leghorn that screeches kinda like what you're describing and it's not the egg song....she starts doing it when she wants out of the run into the yard. The egg song is pretty distinct....and it is bok bok bok BEGOOOOK! Bok bok bok bok BEGOOOOK!

 

[Spikes Chooks]

My 18-week old Silver Campine screeches long and loud - to be let out. I let my 4 girls out for 2-3 hours in the afternoon, and she starts doing it late morning. She is only just developing comb and wattle, so it sure isn't an egg laying noise!

Have you changed the routine on Othello - is she agitating to get let out? I heard they handle confinement less well than some other breeds. If she can free range, maybe she's just after treats. They are a vocal breed. And also very very lovely.

 

[blondiebee181]

My 18-week old Silver Campine screeches long and loud - to be let out. I let my 4 girls out for 2-3 hours in the afternoon, and she starts doing it late morning. She is only just developing comb and wattle, so it sure isn't an egg laying noise!

Have you changed the routine on Othello - is she agitating to get let out? I heard they handle confinement less well than some other breeds. If she can free range, maybe she's just after treats. They are a vocal breed. And also very very lovely.

Yup, Legs are really vocal too. My Daisy is the loudest of my 5 hens (not counting the ducks who are quite the quackers) And she's also the skinniest little chicken....she just has a big voice

 

[blondiebee181]

Here's a pic of my BEAUTIFUL Runner girls....and mom said Ivy (the Fawn and White) squatted the other day!!!! I didn't think about whether ducks squat like chickens do, but I guess so! I'll be so pleased if I see duck eggs this Fall!!!!

 

[lahowardjr]

My Orphimgtons are turning 24 weeks and are just now beginning to lay. Hang in there. When they start, you'll have a hard time eating or keeping up with your eggs. I'm eggggstatic and I'm sure you will be when your hens start.