Roosters singing the egg song too.

[Uppity Peon]

Yesterday I started hearing what I assumed was the egg song coming from my neighbor's yard. It was 2 different voices. It was about 1PM and it went on so long I decided to take a look through the fence. It was 2 roosters! Singing Buck buck buck buck buGAAAAAAWK buck buck buck... at the top of their lungs.

I think they might have seen a snake or something.

 

[NGT ANGL]

When one of my hens lays an egg and starts singing, EVERYONE chimes in, including the two roos! I have even seen all of them in the coop waiting for the hen to come out of the nest box all the while staring at her and singing at the top of their chicken lungs! Sorta reminds me of that hen being named "Queen for the Day" for her accomplishment!

 

[Judy]

Yup, some of my roos cheer the hens on. However, I also noticed that their alarm sound is very much like the egg song, if not identical. I saw one do this one day while she was being stalked by a fox. (The fox lost.) You may be right about the snake, or whatever it was.

 

[scooter147]

I'm leaning towards the roos being spooked, especially if this is not a regular thing for them to do.
It is believed that the "egg song" originates from the chickens wild ancestors. The hens would sneak off to hide and lay their eggs then when finished would cluck to get the attention of the flock. The flock would then respond with clucking and the hen could locate and rejoin the flock.

 

[chickw/chicks]

Today one of my hens laid her first egg I didn't find it until getting home from work today. But this morning when I was leaving I heard my roo and one of my hens making a lot of noise. So much so I ran to go check, when I got there everything was fine but the two of them kept making noise. I had no idea why until finding the egg this evening. A surprise because at 15 wks I thought she was still a little young. So I guess my roo makes the egg noise right along with them.