laying egg when you are in the coop?

Dhkoenig

Songster
Sep 21, 2020
505
457
158
Bergen County New Jersey
Hi All - relative newbie here and THIS happened....I was inside the coop with the girls yesterday (I go in there and shovel out the poops every morning and they hang out with me while I do it) so yesterday my Nellie started doing the egg song while Fancy Pants was in the roost. Fancy pants was turning round and round slowly cozying into her roost and picking at little pieces of hay so it looked like she really was in the process of laying an egg. Then all the other girls joined in the egg song. I literally just sat there stone still - not sure if i was supposed to be in there when she is trying to lay an egg...but I was already in there, so I sad stock-still. Finally when things got quiet I slowly started to back out (sort of trying to tip toe out of there..) and after I was most of the way out, Fancy Pants got up and walked off (no egg!). What happened?
 
Hi All - relative newbie here and THIS happened....I was inside the coop with the girls yesterday (I go in there and shovel out the poops every morning and they hang out with me while I do it) so yesterday my Nellie started doing the egg song while Fancy Pants was in the roost. Fancy pants was turning round and round slowly cozying into her roost and picking at little pieces of hay so it looked like she really was in the process of laying an egg. Then all the other girls joined in the egg song. I literally just sat there stone still - not sure if i was supposed to be in there when she is trying to lay an egg...but I was already in there, so I sad stock-still. Finally when things got quiet I slowly started to back out (sort of trying to tip toe out of there..) and after I was most of the way out, Fancy Pants got up and walked off (no egg!). What happened?
By the way, later I went in and one of the buffs (fancy pants is a buff) laid a small egg. It wasn't a fairy egg but much smaller than their usual eggs
 
Hi - when I was in my coop the other day my hens all started doing the egg song. One of my hens was in the little cubby where they lay eggs and I was physically inside the coop with them because I was picking up droppings. They all started doing the egg song and my hen looked like she was going to lay an egg so I sat really still so as not to upset the apple cart but then they finally stopped doing the egg song and she got up and walked out of the nesting spot. 1) do chickens lay an egg if you are in the coop?? 2) Why would they all have been hollering their egg song (while I am in coop) and no egg came. Did I scare her so she didn't lay?
 
Mine have no issue laying while I'm in the coop. I've even done a full coop cleanout, with rakes and brooms, while 2 girls were laying and they both stayed and popped out an egg before leaving.

Sometimes they seem to do an egg song in anticipation of laying, or it could possibly be a predator alarm as well, as it sounds similar.
 
If disturbed in the nest (for example, if you dare attempt to look under her to see if anyone has laid before her) one of our bantam Wyandotte will kick up a right royal stink, making that noise so that everyone knows you are interfering. She will get off the nest and yell about it for at least 10 minutes. 🤣 Once she's calmed down (and I have gone away) she will go back to the nest and lay.
 
Mine have no issue laying while I'm in the coop. I've even done a full coop cleanout, with rakes and brooms, while 2 girls were laying and they both stayed and popped out an egg before leaving.

Sometimes they seem to do an egg song in anticipation of laying, or it could possibly be a predator alarm as well, as it sounds similar.
Okay thanks so much, that was very helpful!
 
I have a couple of impatient, nosy brats who will do the “egg song” if another chicken is in their favorite spot, to try to rush her along. Once they start yelling, the rest of the flock join in just because. It’s a scream fest. Doesn’t matter if I’m there or not, but I’ve found that if I meow at them as loud as I can, they stop instantly and don’t resume 😄 Works if I do it through the coop camera’s two-way audio, too!
 
Mine have no issue laying while I'm in the coop. I've even done a full coop cleanout, with rakes and brooms, while 2 girls were laying and they both stayed and popped out an egg before leaving.

Sometimes they seem to do an egg song in anticipation of laying, or it could possibly be a predator alarm as well, as it sounds similar.
Ditto Dat!
As long as they are used to your presence, they will lay when you are in there.
Just like grabbing and egg from under them.
Some never get used to it.
 

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