When my girls were in the first couple of months of laying, I had to work on their house and run. It was May and warm enough to remove the double layer of plastic that served as a windbreak for the run, and to rehang the door on the run. The wind just beats the door up, even with tying it down with the bungee cord. Anyhow, while I was working out there I noticed that the BR pullet had been in the nest box quite a while and two other pullets were in the coop near her.
I paid attention to their noise, and I was amazed to hear the other pullets were coaching her, "cluck-cluck-cluck-cluck-CLUCK!-cluck pause" over and over again. "Breathe, breathe, breathe, breathe, PUSH! relax" The pullets would go in and out switching places. After a good hour she finally laid her egg, a big old double yolker. I have seen this repeated often when I am working in the garden, in fact the roo will stand outside the coop and coach for a while. I knew about the egg song, though mine rarely sing it, but I was surprised by a "labor coaching coaching" song. Be interesting to see if my next batch of girls do it spontaneously or if it becomes a learned behavior from the senior hens.
I paid attention to their noise, and I was amazed to hear the other pullets were coaching her, "cluck-cluck-cluck-cluck-CLUCK!-cluck pause" over and over again. "Breathe, breathe, breathe, breathe, PUSH! relax" The pullets would go in and out switching places. After a good hour she finally laid her egg, a big old double yolker. I have seen this repeated often when I am working in the garden, in fact the roo will stand outside the coop and coach for a while. I knew about the egg song, though mine rarely sing it, but I was surprised by a "labor coaching coaching" song. Be interesting to see if my next batch of girls do it spontaneously or if it becomes a learned behavior from the senior hens.
