Egg Song - No Eggs

[sarahssilkies]

Hi everybody! I have 4 silkie chickens: two of them are 6.5 months (26 weeks), one is a little older than that, and the last one is 4 months (16 weeks).

About a month ago they starting singing what my sister called the “egg song”. I searched everywhere and we never found any eggs and they didn’t do it again.

Then yesterday, it started again. They did it in the morning - no eggs. Today they did it again!!! Still nothing.

Is there a reason they’re doing this and not laying?!

Thanks!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I would bet there are eggs somewhere.
Keep in mind that pullet eggs are tiny - and those from silkies are tinier still. They could be buried under some bedding.
I don't know your setup but if you open the coop early, I recommend keeping them confined to the coop till noon so your Easter egg hunt doesn't have to go far.
In NH, your days are getting very short (in relation to dark period) so laying will be delayed but your oldest pullet and possibly one of the 26 weekers may be laying. After winter solstice, you can expect them all to be in full production - till those broody prone birds decide to sit in a nest and stop laying;.

 

[Shadrach]

Hi everybody! I have 4 silkie chickens: two of them are 6.5 months (26 weeks), one is a little older than that, and the last one is 4 months (16 weeks).

About a month ago they starting singing what my sister called the “egg song”. I searched everywhere and we never found any eggs and they didn’t do it again.

Then yesterday, it started again. They did it in the morning - no eggs. Today they did it again!!! Still nothing.

Is there a reason they’re doing this and not laying?!

Thanks!

Your pullets are calling for a rooster. It really is that simple. If they are not already laying they will be soon.
They often do this before they start laying. You may not find any eggs.
It is still surprising that people still believe the egg song is some involuntary reaction to laying an egg.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...-not-about-the-egg-it’s-an-escort-call.74386/

 

[Ridgerunner]

There is another call very similar to the egg song that mine do when they are agitated. It is pretty hard to tell the difference. They are nervous about something, no telling what. It could be a actual predator nearby, a shadow from a bird flying overhead, maybe you or someone else is doing something that makes them nervous. I get the feeling that they are concerned about something but my not know exactly what is making them nervous.

Some hens that lay eggs do not sing the egg song. Some hens that sing the song or something close do not lay eggs. Their language may be a bit more complicated than mere humans can easily understand.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Your pullets are calling for a rooster. It really is that simple. If they are not already laying they will be soon.
They often do this before they start laying. You may not find any eggs.
It is still surprising that people still believe the egg song is some involuntary reaction to laying an egg.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-egg-song-it’s-not-about-the-egg-it’s-an-escort-call.74386/

X2
That call also goes back to when a hen from a wild flock went off by herself to lay an egg in a community nest while the rest of the flock continued to forage far and wide. When she came off the nest, she'd make the (egg song) call. That translates to, "Hey, where are you guys?" The rest of the flock answers with the same call, "Here we are!"
Instinct still causes the behavior even if they are all near one another.
I've even heard roosters make the call when they became separated from their flock.

 

[Shadrach]

There is another call very similar to the egg song that mine do when they are agitated. It is pretty hard to tell the difference. They are nervous about something, no telling what. It could be a actual predator nearby, a shadow from a bird flying overhead, maybe you or someone else is doing something that makes them nervous. I get the feeling that they are concerned about something but my not know exactly what is making them nervous.

Some hens that lay eggs do not sing the egg song. Some hens that sing the song or something close do not lay eggs. Their language may be a bit more complicated than mere humans can easily understand.

It is more complicated, I’ll agree.
It is possible to differentiate between the call for a rooster and the general alarm call. I had to put quite a few calls through a frequency analyzer to get a better understanding. Part of the problem is each chicken has a different ‘voice’ just like humans. This can make things very difficult. It is also true that the rooster call isn’t always about fertilizing the next egg. The hens here give it when they have got separated from their groups and I have a horrible suspicion with one particular hen now 7 years old, when she is bored and wants some attention.
It seems that hens contained in a run within earshot of the rooster (being within sight is not what matters) if there is one won’t bother making the call and often if they do, the rooster won’t bother responding; he knows the hen isn’t going anywhere and there are no other roosters to offer competition for fertilizing the next egg.

 

[EggWalrus]

If you have them penned up, it shouldn't be too hard to find the eggs once they start laying. Go ahead and put some golf balls or eggs in the nest so they can see where they are supposed to lay. Sounds like they are getting ready to lay.
As for the "Egg Song", they are probably just practicing, just like you'll see then practice squatting in the nests before they actually start to lay.
They'll get it all worked out. It's what chickens do.

 

[aart]

Keep them confined....and check their pelvic point spacing.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/