Hen behavior towards chick

[chickndays]

I let a 1 yr chocolate orpington and 3 week chick see/hear each other and was surprised when the hen on hearing the chick started doing the egg song loudly. Wondering what this behavior means.
(Chick was never put with the hen and at risk, just to clarify that)

 

[Ridgerunner]

Chickens make different vocalizations. The egg song is suspected to be a location call. The hen is on the nest and the flock is out foraging. When she comes off of the nest the egg call means "Where are you?" It is nothing about bragging about laying an egg, just a where are you call.

I've heard something very like the egg song but a bit different that seems to say they are nervous. They suspect something is wrong so everybody be alert. I'm sure there are other vocalizations that sound pretty close to the egg song that means something different. I don't know what your hen meant by making that call but she was communicating something to someone. I don't speak the language to know what.

 

[SamLockwood]

The "egg song" is actually either a location / escort call or a warning, depending on the situation and the exact rythm of it. My hens will use it to call for a rooster, or when they're arguing over nesting space. My guess is she was concerned over the strange bird she saw.