Concerning behaviour?! Egg song, but no egg

[hems_and_hens]

Hi all - I have 5 hens who are all 7 months old now. Just after new year's, 2 of them began laying (sill waiting on the other 3)!!! So exciting. Anyways, my Black Copper Marans is in and out of the nesting box without much fuss, but my Orpington is particularly noisy and takes her sweet time when laying. She'll sit in the nesting box for a couple of hours and make a RACKET! She's laid 4 eggs so far this way and they have all been normal (clean, sturdy, light peachy pink shell, on the smaller side). However, yesterday she did her egg routine, sat in the box for a couple hours and squawked the morning away, but when I went to collect the egg, there was none there. Then, she did the same thing today, and no egg again. I'm feeling a bit concerned.

Otherwise she is acting normally - excited about treats and moving normally. The nesting boxes are clean and accessible.

Just wondering if this is something I should worry about? Have others experienced this? I have read about egg-binding and was concerned, but she doesn't seem to have any of the risk factors.

Thank you

 

[Lucy Brown]

lol my hens did that too before they started laying. I think they are trying to imitate the laying hens. They should be laying soon if i am not mistaken.

 

[hems_and_hens]

Haha thanks, yes I've heard of this behaviour! The reason I'm a bit concerned though is that it's the hen who has ALREADY started laying who is doing this. She should be giving me her 5th egg, and instead she sat in the nest for 2-3 hours yesterday and today and made lots of noise, but no egg.

P.S. For anyone curious, I have a ChickenCam which is how I keep an eye on my girls. Lol!

lol my hens did that too before they started laying. I think they are trying to imitate the laying hens. They should be laying soon if i am not mistaken.

 

[rosemarythyme]

She's still a young layer. Expect sporadic laying, maybe a few oddball eggs, eggs in weird places, etc.