Does this happen to you?

[Brady bunch]

When our chickens are free ranging, they will go into the coop to lay an egg. But when the finished laying they don’t know where their friends are, so they start to panic. Earlier today I heard one of our chickens squawking so loudly I thought that something was wrong. Does this normally to you? Or is there a way to prevent them from freaking out?

 

[Ridgerunner]

What you are hearing is probably what we call the egg song. Not all hens sing it when they lay an egg but some do. There are different opinions as to what it means. My thought is that the hen does not know where the flock is so she calls to them. When she calls my rooster might leave the flock and go get her, mating her when he finds her. I see it as nature's way of seeing that a hen laying eggs gets those eggs fertilized. Not all my roosters do that, not all my hens do that. I do not have to have a rooster for some of the hens to do that. Hopefully others will give their thoughts and opinions, some can be interesting.

I don't see that as panic or freaking out. She is simply asking "Where are you?" Whether any answer or not she will find them.

 

[Brady bunch]

Thanks

 

[Chebird]

Most of my pullets sing the egg song - a lot. They sing it after they've laid an egg, when a friend lays an egg, or when they are encouraging someone to lay an egg. Sometimes we have three pullets peeking into a nest box singing the egg song when someone has been in there for awhile.

 

[Ibe-1chick]

My Hen Marilyn hasn’t laid an egg yet, she is 4 1/2 months old. Is this normal? She is healthy and spoiled. She is a Buff Orpington. She free ranges and I feed her as well.
Maybe she will later, I’m not sure. I am a new chicken mom.

 

[puppymamma]

I had that happen too! My silkie started doing that when her friends left her in the coop. I actually thought she was a rooster for a while because of it, but not long after she started laying.
I wonder if your Buff is close to laying?