Do your girls do a lot of "squaking" and "clucking" when they lay an egg?

[lonelychicken]

My full sized cochin hen is a bit over 20 months old and laying eggs for about 3 weeks we get one egg about every 36 hours usually late afternoon or evening - for the last 2 days there has been an egg in the nest 1st thing in the AM.

The first time I arrived at the hen house, right when the egg was being laid - I came running as fast as I can with my walker, LOL because I thought something got in the hen house and was hurting my girls! but no it was just Ella in the nest and the other 4 girls walking back and forth singing back up!!!

My next oldest hen Beyonce is 5 1/2 months and is extremely interested in what Ella is doing while on the nest. The last 2 mornings Beyonce has been on the nest - keeping Ella's egg warm and clucking like she is laying but nothing has happened. she is eating and drinking and otherwise acting normally. the funny thing is none of the others are pacing and clucking like they do when Ella lays an egg.

Do you think she is just immating the hen that is laying? or is she practicing? certainly she is not egg bound her first egg? Apreciate your thoughts.

 

[theoldchick]

Mercy, some chickens really carry on while laying an egg. Occasionally, the rooster will get involved, causing all the other hens to start squawking like crazy. They eventually calm down, but there is always one in the group, who gets everyone started.