The Pre and Post Egg Song

I think your privacy setting are either set to "Friends" or "Friends of friends" so that the world at large can't hear these...

 

yeah, I couldn't access it either - would love to hear it though! I've never witnessed an "egg song".

Would you let us know if you change your settings so we can access it?

Melissa

 

Anybody that would like to hear an Egg Song, PM me your E-MAIL address, and I'll send you my Rebecca's 3 minute Egg Song from my phone.

 

DUMB question, do they practice singing this for weeks prior to laying their first egg? I have a black Australorp who sings these songs randomly all day long. I don't get excited anymore when I hear it, instead turning towards the coop and screaming LIAR!! (I love my chickens, but the first egg wait is excruciatingly painful!!!!)

ETA ~ Thank you for posting these songs. I thought that is what I had been hearing from my girls, but wasn't sure!!

 

Last month's Backyard Poultry magazine had an interesting article theorizing about the meaning of the egg song. Essentially, the author posits that the egg song is a variant of an alarm call. The idea is that sitting on a nest to lay puts the hen in a vulnerable position. So before she goes to sit, she sings this song to get the whole flock on alert. Any predators around here? Flush 'em out!

When she comes off the nest, she is vulnerable because she's been in there spaced out for a while. Similarly, she puts the whole flock on alert for danger.

I thought it was an interesting theory, and I've been watching my flock when they sing with this theory in mind. It seems to fit, because when they sing they do also seem to be looking around alertly.

 

Oh goodness. We love the "egg song" One of our Sebrights was doing it the other day. Our TSC pullets do it fairly regularly too.

 

its so fun to hear songs coming from outside! sometimes the rooster will stomp around like his hair is on fire LOL


hahaha mrs. POON.. there is a name for the books!