Rooster and hens voicing support to first time egg-layer?!

[Pickled Egg]

This is the second time I've seen this behavior in our small flock.

The first time was about 6 weeks ago. One of our Chantecler hens (Amelia) was spending a long time in a laying box clucking away. Our Chantecler rooster (the Professor), our other Chantecler hen (Ginger), and our Barred Rock hen (MaryAnne) all came into the coop and make a huge racket. All four birds were clucking madly for over 15 minutes. The rooster even perched next to the hen in the box at one point and clucked loudly, almost in unison with her. It seemed like they were all aware that she was working on her first egg.

I found our other Chantecler hen, who we wanted to rename 'freeloader', in a laying box this weekend (finally!!!!). The same thing happened - MaryAnne and the Professor (we lost Amelia to a coyote a few weeks ago) came into the coop and clucked loudly and frantically for several minutes. Ginger, who is normally a very quiet hen, made an HUGE racket, so much so that I expected to find an enormous egg under her (what she laid was no bigger than a robin's egg and had no yoke in it). As with Amelia's first egg, the Professor perched next to the laying box and clucked loudly - basically acting like a nervous expectant father...lol.

It's interesting, when the Barred Rock hen laid her first egg the other hens and rooster did not make a sound. In fact, they seemed completely indifferent to the whole thing.

Has anyone else experienced this kind of behavior for a first egg? Would it be too odd to think the Chantecler have more of a connection to each other than they do to the Barred Rock hen?

I'm happy that all our girls laid their first eggs on the weekend, so I could experience the excitement too!

 

[WriterofWords]

Blue Roo does that with the ladies every day! They get in to lay and he stands there guarding them and cheering them on.

 

[vtchickenlady]

Same thing with my hens and roo...their proud. Sorry to hear about Amelia.

 

[detali]

My Buff Orpington rooster does that too. Today I got my first egg from one of my young Buffys. He stood there the whole time keeping watch over her. But he does not do that when my other hens are on the nest.

 

[deanna&rich]

Our roo, Zilla (short for Godzilla), was very, very attentive to each of the girls on the day they laid their first egg (at least for the three girls I was able to watch ... the other three, unfortunately, either I missed it or they just weren't his favorite girls, I guess !!)

Especially the first two girls to lay their first egg ... he would go all around that yard with that one hen, ignoring everything, and stand by while she tried out all the nooks and crannys for possible nesting spots. I swear, it looked just like a young human couple looking for their first house. In fact, for Amelia, he would dig out little nests, and sit in them to warm them up, and then step aside for her to try out. She'd get in for a minute, then get out and fuss, and he'd dig some more.....

It was really fun to watch, wasted an entire afternoon! Eventually , they all laid in the nest boxes in the coop.

 

[Gonzo]

Oh Yes! It's a cheer fest at our place too! Love your choice in chicken names too!