purpose of racket hen makes after laying egg

[TigerLilly]

I think it's just to draw attention to themselves--they are such drama queens you know! They act like they're the first & only one to lay an egg, EACH & EVERY TIME they do it...like "Look what I just did!" Followed by the next one doing the same thing, just in a haughtier tone...

 

[gritsar]

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That and to locate the flock to re-join them.

 

[centrarchid]

Quote:
That and to locate the flock to re-join them.

It may be diversionary if done some distance from nest, but most hens do it so close it has to actually attract attention to nest site. With my doms last year, I could use sound to narrow down where to look for nest. Games hens on other hand I had to actually see where she was walking from.

 

[7L Farm]

I think its a combination o f hey I just layed an egg & come get me.I let mine free range & they lay their eggs in the nest boxs provided & after she lays she sings the song & my Roo will hall butt back to the coop to get her. Poor girl. The first thing after laying the egg the roo wants to mate her.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
That and to locate the flock to re-join them.

It may be diversionary if done some distance from nest, but most hens do it so close it has to actually attract attention to nest site. With my doms last year, I could use sound to narrow down where to look for nest. Games hens on other hand I had to actually see where she was walking from.

Yes, most hens do sing the eggsong too close to the nest for it to act as a diversionary tactic, but I think it's still ingrained in them (from their ancestors) and that's why they do it; even if they pick the wrong place and time.

I have a hen singing the egg song right now. She's been at it for a good 15 minutes. Problem is, she hasn't yet gone to the nest to lay. She started singing it the minute she entered the coop and is continuing it while she looks for the right nestbox. Again, she probably doesn't have a clue WHY she's supposed to do it, she just knows that she's supposed to.

 

[centrarchid]

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Exactly, my roosters cover hens of their respective flocks immediately! This has also been time when roosters without flocks try to sneak in to score. Hens seem particularly reluctant to let that happen.

Now that more than one flock is moving about, even though ranges overlap somewhat, especially with respect to location of nest sites the hens are still very good at getting back to their own flock. They seem to know each other by voice, not just looks.

 

[centrarchid]

Quote:
It may be diversionary if done some distance from nest, but most hens do it so close it has to actually attract attention to nest site. With my doms last year, I could use sound to narrow down where to look for nest. Games hens on other hand I had to actually see where she was walking from.

Yes, most hens do sing the eggsong too close to the nest for it to act as a diversionary tactic, but I think it's still ingrained in them (from their ancestors) and that's why they do it; even if they pick the wrong place and time.

I have a hen singing the egg song right now. She's been at it for a good 15 minutes. Problem is, she hasn't yet gone to the nest to lay. She started singing it the minute she entered the coop and is continuing it while she looks for the right nestbox. Again, she probably doesn't have a clue WHY she's supposed to do it, she just knows that she's supposed to.

My hens very quite when approaching nest site and while on it. I have been able to watch whole sequence repeatedly now involving hens nesting on front porch. When vocalization made (after egg layed and hen moved off nest) , it is of very short duration with rooster responding immediately. My birds not going into a henhouse so may be a factor causing different observations.

 

[chickened]

My fathers game hens would sneak away from the nest about 25 feet then cackle. When they were setting they would get about 5 feet away and fly with a loud cackle like something was getting them and come over and eat, poop, drink and sneak back to the nest. My standard types never do that.

 

[centrarchid]

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It has been a while since I observed broody game hens coming off nest to feed and drop their load but if memory serves they did flutter about a bit as if getting a little excersize. Some would mate with rooster, especially if he was hanging around and she was his only mate. I will be watching more closely this spring to figure just what is going on. Birds this round pretty much ignore me and let me touch them whenever I try to handle them so makes observations easier this time.

 

[chicknmania]

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How far does you flock range? Mine forage about a roughly 2 acre patch where linear distances from point to point push 800 feet. The flock easily walks away and out of sight of nest site within a few minutes.

Ours range farther than that but they don't necessarily all stay together, there are almost always
some in the barn and around the next boxes, and ours usually lay in the late morning when the flock is still in the barn for the most part.