Is this egg laying behavior normal? (Leghorn)

[Lainey-chick]

One of my 17 week Leghorns, Snowy, started laying about two weeks ago. She makes these long drawn out screetches before laying an egg. Sometimes this goes on for about an hour beforehand. Sometimes she will sing the egg song and goes back to screaming. She sounds like she is in pain. Do you think it hurts for her to lay eggs?

Do they always sing after laying an egg? Do they ever sing the song and not lay an egg at all? I’ve heard the egg song several times and ran out immediately to see and never found an egg anywhere.

My last question...what does it mean when a chicken makes a loud PIP noise. It’s a short blast like a horn.

 

[Aunt Angus]

One of my 17 week Leghorns, Snowy, started laying about two weeks ago. She makes these long drawn out screetches before laying an egg. Sometimes this goes on for about an hour beforehand. Sometimes she will sing the egg song and goes back to screaming. She sounds like she is in pain. Do you think it hurts for her to lay eggs?

Do they always sing after laying an egg? Do they ever sing the song and not lay an egg at all? I’ve heard the egg song several times and ran out immediately to see and never found an egg anywhere.

My last question...what does it mean when a chicken makes a loud PIP noise. It’s a short blast like a horn.

I've never known a hen not to sing after laying, so totally normal. My Leghorn, Saffron, sounds like a screeching dinosaur. And, yes, it can go on all day. New layers often have "false alarms," but I have older hens who do that, too, though less frequently.

And that's a sneeze. Probably dust in their nostrils, but never hurts to check them over if it happens a lot.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Forgot to add that my rooster often joins in when they sing their egg songs, which often sets off the ducks. Quite the cacophony.

 

[Lainey-chick]

I've never known a hen not to sing after laying, so totally normal. My Leghorn, Saffron, sounds like a screeching dinosaur. And, yes, it can go on all day. New layers often have "false alarms," but I have older hens who do that, too, though less frequently.

And that's a sneeze. Probably dust in their nostrils, but never hurts to check them over if it happens a lot.

My Leghorns sound like screeching dinosaurs all day, too. But Snowy sounds more like a screetching goose, crow, jungle bird (I just can’t decide what kind of sound it is), before laying an egg. I always know when she is about to lay an egg because it’s different and it really sounds painful. I wish I could post a video or sound clip.

Good to know about the sneeze. I thought it was a warning sound.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

She makes these long drawn out screetches before laying an egg. Sometimes this goes on for about an hour beforehand. Sometimes she will sing the egg song and goes back to screaming. She sounds like she is in pain. Do you think it hurts for her to lay eggs?

I call it preaching a sermon. My EE used to that for hours then once everyone was ignoring her she would quickly slip off to the nest and lay her egg. I consider it a predator diversion. I also had the loudest Orpington ever.. my husband thought a goat was dying the first time she started in like that. Many of my gals are more chatty on the days they lay.

Pain is not expressed the same by all animals.. a chicken in tons of pain is quiet to not attract attention as a prey animal. I do NOT believe she's in pain.

The ladies that are having especially hard time laying a multi yolker or unusually large egg will tend to stay in the lay box or stand around very lethargic and penguin stanced. Egg binding as it's known is uncomfortable (possibly painful) as it blocks defecation and is deadly fast.

Do they always sing after laying an egg?

Nope, not always! Some learn well how to hide nests and all are individuals.

Do they ever sing the song and not lay an egg at all?

Oh yeah.. anytime they're startled, when they're just practicing, and also to join in others celebrations. Imagine my surprise first time I heard a cockerel sing the egg song! (or heard a hen crow)

Sometimes a sneeze is just a sneeze and that's what they usually sound like.

Uploading videos can be done to another platform then linked here.

I actually do like the noisy ladies letting me know who's laying that day.

My neighbors are far enough it isn't an issue.

ETA: in other words.. sounds normal!

 

[Lainey-chick]

Whew, I feel much better knowing this is all normal.
Thanks Aunt Agnes and EggSighted4Life!

 

[Lainey-chick]

I call it preaching a sermon.

I like this! I shall call it this from now on!

 

[Lainey-chick]

Forgot to add that my rooster often joins in when they sing their egg songs, which often sets off the ducks. Quite the cacophony.

My rooster has started crowing all day for any little thing. Silly roosters!

 

[Chicken poppy]

One of my 17 week Leghorns, Snowy, started laying about two weeks ago. She makes these long drawn out screetches before laying an egg. Sometimes this goes on for about an hour beforehand. Sometimes she will sing the egg song and goes back to screaming. She sounds like she is in pain. Do you think it hurts for her to lay eggs?

Do they always sing after laying an egg? Do they ever sing the song and not lay an egg at all? I’ve heard the egg song several times and ran out immediately to see and never found an egg anywhere.

My last question...what does it mean when a chicken makes a loud PIP noise. It’s a short blast like a horn.

An hour beforehand, i don’t know, but i do know they will make screeches a bit before, like a minute or two, because they have to push it out. This could even be three minutes long.

Not always, but a good majority, yes. If you take them off right after the egg comes out and distract them, they usually won’t sing, but totally normal.

Does it go high every few honks? Last a while, and the others typically join in? Thats an egg song.


Keeping this, but im aware that this is a old thread, didn’t notice before i typed this but i’ll just keep it anyway.

 

[Lainey-chick]

Just to follow up six + months later…. My Leghorns still screetch like dinosaurs (preach a sermon), especially before laying an egg!

My chickens sometimes sing the egg song before laying an egg or if another chicken just laid an egg, not always after. Sometimes after they lay the egg, they sneak out without a sound. And, I noticed my rooster also sings the egg song sometimes as well, especially when he senses danger or hears a loud noise.

So, you all were right, it’s all normal for my flock.