Egg song without eggs

[Mbean15]

I have a little barnyard mutt (red sex link, golden comet, rir or something mix) who laid her first egg on Wednesday. I heard her singing her egg song on Monday but since she had been squatting I didn't think twice.
She laid her egg in dead silence, and again on friday and again this morning.

She has already laid her egg today, early morning, and yet i go out there at 6:30 pm and sure enough she's cackling her egg song, and not only that but our spalsh maran and gold easter egger who are not laying eggs are singing with her, while the other laying hen takes no part in it.

So now i have one hen who laid almost twelve hours ago, and two hens who aren't laying eggs singing an egg song. Does anyone have insight as to why this is happening when there are no eggs to be found? No one wants to tell me when they lay their egg, but they want to sing hours or even days late.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Some sing it some don't, most hens will join in on a group cackling. It doesn't always mean they laid an egg. My flock will do it as a group a few times a days, sometimes it can mean they spotted a potential predator as well.

 

[Mom2g3]

The same thing happened to me today! My BR took over an hour while singing the egg song to lay her egg. But 2 others were singing the quinticential egg song and no egg. So baffling! They were exploring 3 new nest boxes I just opened up and making their bowl nests in the shavings. And nothing. Boo.

 

[FlyWheel]

My hens will do that two. one will start "egg singing" for no apparent reason, and all the others (including the rooster!) will join in creating quite the chorus.
Chickens are weird, don't worry about it.

 

[aart]

The 'egg song' and the 'alarm call' sound pretty similar.
It's not a 'rule carved on stone' that they only vocalize that type of sound immediately after laying an egg.

 

[carlf]

They like to sing. Or they don't. Or only on certain days. Or only when the moon phase is right.

Just because they sing doesn't mean they will lay an egg.

And just because they laid an egg doesn't mean they will sing.

Why?

Who knows???? Only the chickens and they aint talkin'.......

 

[Mbean15]

They like to sing. Or they don't. Or only on certain days. Or only when the moon phase  is right.

Just because they sing doesn't mean they will lay an egg.

And just because they laid an egg doesn't mean they will sing.

Why?

Who knows???? Only the chickens and they aint talkin'.......

Oh they're definately talking alright! I just have no idea what it is they're saying.

 

[Mbean15]

The 'egg song' and the 'alarm call' sound pretty similar.
It's not a 'rule carved on stone' that they only vocalize that type of sound immediately after laying an egg.

I didn't know the alarm and the egg song were the same! Learn something new every day.

 

[carlf]

Its close but not exact.
And there are different alarm calls depending on the predator.
The call for hawks is definately different.