Odd Chicken Behavior (so I thought)

[sewchick]

I have 6 red star hens. For the most part they are quiet, so I thought. I have 3 EE's and one weirdo funny looking curly little chicken. Anyways...I had to put them out with the hens in the coop. I have them in a small separated area. Well let me tell you this morning I woke up to an awful wailing. It was terrible. As I got to my feet it got worse. So I ran down the stairs and out the door and to the coop. I pretty near ripped the door off trying to get in. I need to mention that my dh took off the window yesterday. It's a screened window now. I finally managed to get the door open and really expected to see 4 dead or near dead chicks. To my amazement the chickens were hollering because they were laying EGGS. EGGS!!!!! While I was relieved I was a little mad at the girls for making such a ruckus. They otherwise are very quiet. Having never had chickens I did not know they would holler like that. It's kind of funny now but at the time.....It's been a odd week. First Tilly bit the cat now I thought the hens killed my chicks.

I wonder what the little devils will do this week.

 

[gritsar]

Yep, that's the egg song. I have one hen that insists on singing it (very loudly I might add) for a half an hour before she lays and then continues when she's done.
Another one of my hens sounds just like a newborn baby crying when she sings her egg song. Still trying to figure out how to record it. It's made me run out to the coop more than once.

 

[OKbirdwatcher]

Quote:
It seems to me that every day with them is an adventure. You just never know what's gonna happen next.

Yep, that's the egg song.

I haven't heard the egg song yet.....Is this something they do when they're older?​

 

[JennsPeeps]

I awoke to the same, peculiar noise last Thanksgiving. Sweet, sweet music!!

(ok, "sweet" on Thanksgiving... kindy crappy at 5:30a in May)

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
I haven't heard the egg song yet.....Is this something they do when they're older?

The first time you hear it you'll think something huge and ferocious has gotten into your coop and is eating all your babies! It's just a hen announcing to the world that she's laid an egg.
I read an article on chicken vocalizations that theorized that a hen sings the egg song as she's running away from the nestbox as a way to tell egg predators "follow me! leave my eggs alone!"

 

[GoldenSilverLaced]

My SL Wyandotte sometimes (like once or twice a week, not every time she lays) makes a brubruburbrubru noise for 30-45 min before laying, and is silent after. She also makes that noise when she wants attention, we look out at the girls from our bedroom window sometimes, and if they see us they stop what they're doing and stare at us...it's pretty funny. Anyway, when we hear that noise and look at at her, she stops and goes back to eating or preening, etc.

Other than that occasionally happening, both girls lay silently. We've seen both of them in action, and it's a little creepy since they're so silent before and after. Linner (the SLW) stared at me unmoving except for blinking for at least a minute after she layed an egg that I witnessed. I even reached in to pet her and she didn't move an inch. Dunch (the golden buff) just stares back at us and then walks away from the eggs. They also lay standing up, is that typical? Granted they don't really have nest boxes, but this doesn't seem to bother them.

 

[gritsar]

Yep, standing up in the egg laying process is normal. Just make sure there is plenty of cushy bedding for the egg to fall on.
I have one girl that actually groans as she tries to lay her egg, standing up the whole time.

 

[ga*chick*]

Always know when my girls are laying...they are all noisy, and the roo goes right along with them.
Funny when ppl are over they ask why they are making all the noise, and I just tell them someone is laying an egg. They also find it odd they Roo Crows all day long...more explaining...

Chicken myths are so much fun....and when I show them a green egg they always, always want to know if that is a sign that its bad.

 

[GoldenSilverLaced]

Just make sure there is plenty of cushy bedding for the egg to fall on.

Thanks for the reply. They have plenty of chips ion the coop, but both of them "hollow out" an area in the coop to lay on, with minimal bedding underneath. Haven't had a broken egg yet....we're building them a nest box with foam under part of it to prevent breakage from happening, esp. as they have eaten eggs before.​