Here's a mystery....

[Karen Glatz]

I was in the garden this morning when I heard a chicken egg song. It was a little early in the day for my 3 year old so I went to look. Sure enough there was a small, perfectly formed, light brown egg in one of the nest boxes (my 3 year old lays large blue eggs).

Besides Henny Penny (3 yrs) and one surprise Cochin cockerel - 22 wks I have:

(1) 22 wk old Cochin Pullet,

(1) 16 wk Isa Brown
(3) 16 wk gold laced Wyandottes
(1) 16 wk Welsummer
(1) 16 wk Barred Rock

(1) 14 wk Campine/Easter Egger

It was the Isa Brown that was singing. She seems a little young to be laying. Do chickens sing for eggs laid by other chickens? The Cochin seems a little more of an age to be laying.

The Cockerel is interested in ALL the girls.

In another question - can I be sure that if Pepper is mating a chicken that it's a pullet. I'm pretty sure all the others are female, not much comb and wattle development, but I worry over every pointy feather in their tail - I might get away with one rooster (especially since he hasn't crowed), but not two or three. I've had layers for several years, but they were all the same age and did every thing by the book. No roosters.

I started the new flock after a stray dog killed all but one in my last flock. They are different ages because, well, chicken math. I guess it doesn't matter, but I'd like to be able to tell the eggs apart, in case I get the crazy idea to let the Cochin sit on a few.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Hens will do the egg song just because, so it isn't always indicative of who laid an egg. Cochins can take a long time to start laying. Other breeds like your Isa, or barred rock will start sooner.

Pullets will get bright red combs before beginning to lay so a rooster knows who is fertile. Generally roosters will only mate hens, or pullets that have matured unless they aren't kept with hens, than sometimes they will mate each other. Sharing pictures would help.

 

[Wezdin]

Hi, I would guess the ISA layed it, they are egg laying Machines!

 

[Karen Glatz]

I'll get some pictures. Pepper mates anyone who holds still long enough. The hen puts him in his place sometimes, but I've seen him on her and pretty much everybody else.

 

[Shadrach]

Pullets will start calling for a rooster before they get to lay an egg.
There isn't such a thing as the egg song. It's one of those myths that have taken hold over the years. It's unfortunate that this myth is still reinforced on chicken forums in general.

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

 

[Peppercorngal]

The "egg song" or "escort call" does not mean an egg was laid by that particular hen. I have hens that just hang around the coop so they can jump in and sing along with other hens that are laying! Many will jump in and it gets quite noisy! I'd say your barred rock or Isa is responsible for the egg. Such good news, a new egg!

 

[Karen Glatz]

The Isa and the Cochin are in the group shot. Everybody is visiting the nest boxes. The cockerel is pretty proud of himself. The older hen is not in any of these. Also, in the group shot, one of the Wyandottes has a long feather sticking out beyond the rest in the tail, Is this normal - it's been like this for a few weeks?

 

[Karen Glatz]

Pullets will start calling for a rooster before they get to lay an egg.
There isn't such a thing as the egg song. It's one of those myths that have taken hold over the years. It's unfortunate that this myth is still reinforced on chicken forums in general.

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

I don't know. My older hen always does a song after she lays. I know to go pick up her egg. Others in her former flock did that same thing. They never even saw a rooster in their whole lives.

I only have the cockerel now by accident - he was supposed to be a pullet. I got those two to keep my hen company after her flock was massacred. She kept pacing up and down the fence, calling and trying to get over it. Big surprise a week or two later when his comb and wattles turned red and started growing.

 

[Shadrach]

I don't know. My older hen always does a song after she lays. I know to go pick up her egg. Others in her former flock did that same thing. They never even saw a rooster in their whole lives.

I only have the cockerel now by accident - he was supposed to be a pullet. I got those two to keep my hen company after her flock was massacred. She kept pacing up and down the fence, calling and trying to get over it. Big surprise a week or two later when his comb and wattles turned red and started growing.

It doesn't seem to matter if there is a rooster there or not. It's something that is still instinctive from Jungle Fowl.

 

[jaxonann]

'Tis a mystery indeed. The cochin is old enough and is squatting on the box, but the Isa and Barred Rock have some pretty good looking combs. You can easily scratch that EE off your list for another 8 weeks.