Eggs but no song

[LittleMissCountry]

Two of mine have started laying. My black sex link is super quiet anyway, and she will sometimes sing the egg song, but most often not. The buff orpington makes sure everyone, including the neighbors, knows she laid an egg! The funny thing is that when she sings, the black sex link will join in everytime.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Some days hens here are quite vociferous and some days silent.
It is important to understand here what the "egg song" is and why it happens.
Many of the characteristics of the chickens' ancestors, red jungle fowl, still exhibit in our birds' behaviors.
When flocks of wild chickens would forage, a hen would have to lay an egg and would go back to a nest to lay while the rest of the flock would continue to forage.
After she was done, she would call out "Hey, where are you guys" (egg song) and the rest of the flock would call out, "Here we are". The call is primarily an effort to reconnect with friends because I've heard an isolated, separated rooster sing the song.
It really isn't a declaration of an egg laid, it is just a need to connect with flock mates.
They can't help themselves sometimes. Even when they are all in the same pen, they continue to sing to each other.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Some days hens here are quite vociferous and some days silent.
It is important to understand here what the "egg song" is and why it happens.
Many of the characteristics of the chickens' ancestors, red jungle fowl, still exhibit in our birds' behaviors.
When flocks of wild chickens would forage, a hen would have to lay an egg and would go back to a nest to lay while the rest of the flock would continue to forage.
After she was done, she would call out "Hey, where are you guys" (egg song) and the rest of the flock would call out, "Here we are". The call is primarily an effort to reconnect with friends because I've heard an isolated, separated rooster sing the song.
They can't help themselves sometimes. Even when they are all in the same pen, they continue to sing to each other.

Something along these lines. I noticed with some of my roosters (not all but some) that the rooster would leave the flock when a hen sang the song and go meet her where she was. He would them mate her before escorting her back to the flock. I believe the egg song not only helps the hen reconnect to the flock but it helps assure that hens laying eggs lay fertile eggs.

Some of mine never sing the song, others do, others sometimes do. The only consistent thing about chickens is that they are inconsistent.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

... The only consistent thing about chickens is that they are inconsistent.

Inconsistent creatures of habit about sums it up.

When did you abandon AR for LA? Do you miss the mountains? Ozarks and Ouachitas.

 

[CannedMonster]

My bantam Dark Brahma roo would stand halfway between the coop and the foraging hens when one of them was laying an egg.
Always keeping an eye on things.

My 4 girls have been laying for 6 months and they rarely do the egg song.

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

Sorry for the late update. Not sure if shes the only layer. Just the only one we know for sure. We have inklings about at least one other one but dont know. I know how to tell im just not comfortable getting up close and personal with her pelvis unless needed for medical reasons. But we are getting an egg a day

 

[Peppercorngal]

Sorry for the late update. Not sure if shes the only layer. Just the only one we know for sure. We have inklings about at least one other one but dont know. I know how to tell im just not comfortable getting up close and personal with her pelvis unless needed for medical reasons. But we are getting an egg a day

You said you have a shy chicken. . . you are the shy one. You should not "shut the door" and give the chicken "privacy" when she's laying. She does not care. It's fascinating to watch the laying process and I encourage you to do so, trust me, your chicken is not embarrassed one bit! Some hens sing, some hens do not. Some hens get all the other hens and roos to sing with them and some do not. Chickens are just what they are, chickens. Enjoy your girls!

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

You said you have a shy chicken. . . you are the shy one. You should not "shut the door" and give the chicken "privacy" when she's laying. She does not care. It's fascinating to watch the laying process and I encourage you to do so, trust me, your chicken is not embarrassed one bit! Some hens sing, some hens do not. Some hens get all the other hens and roos to sing with them and some do not. Chickens are just what they are, chickens. Enjoy your girls!

Possibly but next time i have my menses no one is allowed to watch. Im actually wondering if this is just not ignorant human inference based on an action.

 

[rosemarythyme]

From my experience they really don't care if you watch. That said, I usually don't hang around while they're laying, since:

1) It can take hours! And yes I've sat around and watched a hen lay, mostly because I was dying to try a truly fresh egg (doesn't taste "better" IMO).
2) If they do see me, sometimes they'll pop out of the nest thinking I have treats. Though sometimes they'll squeeze the egg out real fast and then run off to look for a treat. Either way I hate feeling guilted into giving out a treat.

But yes the egg song can be a very random thing. Sometimes I hear all of them singing, sometimes no one sings, sometimes they sing but there's no egg. The song can go on for a few seconds or for 10, 15 minutes. I have noticed mine are more likely to sing in the morning vs. afternoon.

 

[meetthebubus]

Many times it is a older hen, the young pullets don't always know what's happening and are quiet, I'm sure once they get older you'll hear all types of yells and hens yelling at each other bc they want the same box, lol you'll wonder why you ever wanted the racket it is fun to hear though