Egg song with no eggs and other weird silkie behaviour?

[jonaeselaye]

Does anyone else's chicken do the egg song without an egg? I went to feed my chickens this morning, all were already out of the coop foraging except 1 silkie. I opened the coop and saw her sitting in the nest box deep in sleep. I lifted her up to check if there was an egg under her- nothing. I looked all around the coop and there were no eggs (wasnt surprised though, all my girls are afternoon layers for some reason). I nudged her awake to let her know there was food outside, she woke up, went outside the coop and did her egg song very loudly for a while. She only started laying last week and is the only one of my silkies who does the egg song. I looked all around their enclosure and there are no eggs. As crazy as this sounds, is it possible that she was dreaming that she was laying an egg

Also, should I be concerned that she was sleeping in? She doesn't seem ill and foraged normally with the other silkies after I woke up her. I'm thinking that maybe she's just more tired than usual because the past couple of days she's been getting bullied by 2 young sex links. Nothing too aggressive or dangerous, just normal re-establishing the pecking business.

 

[rjohns39]

You might find this thread interesting. A fairly good discussion on the egg song.

ETA: I frequently get the egg song without eggs.

 

[jonaeselaye]

I went out there again an hour later to let the rooster out. She is back in the nest box very still. I'm hoping she is going broody and not ill

 

[rjohns39]

I went out there again an hour later to let the rooster out. She is back in the nest box very still. I'm hoping she is going broody and not ill

I'm hoping right along with you

 

[aart]

I'm hoping she is going broody and not ill

...or she's going to lay an egg, some take longer, and some like to 'lounge' before and after laying...she's a new layer and it can take awhile until she gets it down.

 

[jonaeselaye]

...or she's going to lay an egg, some take longer, and some like to 'lounge' before and after laying...she's a new layer and it can take awhile until she gets it down.

I did find two silkie eggs in the next box she was sleeping in so I think you could be right I think ever since my isa brown was hospitalised and racked up a $1000 vet bill the other week I've been overly paranoid about every little thing out of the ordinary

 

[LittleMissCountry]

...or she's going to lay an egg, some take longer, and some like to 'lounge' before and after laying...she's a new layer and it can take awhile until she gets it down.

Yes, one of mine sat in the nesting box for 4 hours before laying her egg. She did that for months. Now she still sits for a few hours.

One of my other chickens sings the egg song all the time, not just when laying. I am pretty sure she figured out that I come out when I hear it, and she will get some attention.

 

[Blooie]

The others are right...nothing to worry about. Besides, there's a reason I name my Silkies things like "King Tut", "Dufus", and "Smudge". Between the 9 of them, they almost made one whole brain. <sigh> Yes, Silkies are weird!

Welcome to BYC! Glad to have you!