What does this chicken want?

[first_chicken]

This hen is going to lay very soon and just showed the sign of squatting when approaching in the past several days. I assume the sound she made means she wants to lay. I put her in a nesting box where other hens are laying but she did not lay, and just kept making this kind of noise or sometimes even something like a egg song. I really don't know what this chicken wants. Can someone help me? I am really exhausted by her noise. Thank you.

 

[Shadrach]

This hen is going to lay very soon and just showed the sign of squatting when approaching in the past several days. I assume the sound she made means she wants to lay. I put her in a nesting box where other hens are laying but she did not lay, and just kept making this kind of noise or sometimes even something like a egg song. I really don't know what this chicken wants. Can someone help me? I am really exhausted by her noise. Thank you.

If she's getting close to laying and crouching for you and making what gets called the egg song calls, she calling for a rooster. It's instinctive. While they may not consciously know they need a rooster to fertilize their eggs, most in my experience make the same call be there a rooster present or not.
If the other hens lay in a nest box, she will probably follow suit when she's ready.

 

[first_chicken]

If she's getting close to laying and crouching for you and making what gets called the egg song calls, she calling for a rooster. It's instinctive. While they may not consciously know they need a rooster to fertilize their eggs, most in my experience make the same call be there a rooster present or not.
If the other hens lay in a nest box, she will probably follow suit when she's ready.

Thank you for the explanation. I could not keep a rooster so there is no rooster. The noise in the video is fine but the egg song is really too loud. She makes the egg song almost every 20 minutes. Really bothered by that noise and hope my neighbors don't complain about that

 

[SamLockwood]

Some of them are just more vocal than others. Some are "drama queens" that will carry on at the slightest provocation. If you're worried about your neighbors, either move your set up as far as possible away from them or try bribing them with some fresh eggs.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Some of them are just more vocal than others. Some are "drama queens" that will carry on at the slightest provocation. If you're worried about your neighbors, either move your set up as far as possible away from them or try driving them with some fresh eggs.

Egg bribery in the suburbs is definitely a Thing!

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Thank you for the explanation. I could not keep a rooster so there is no rooster. The noise in the video is fine but the egg song is really too loud. She makes the egg song almost every 20 minutes. Really bothered by that noise and hope my neighbors don't complain about that

You may have misinterpreted @Shadrach 's reply a bit. It doesn't matter that you don't have a rooster. Her instincts - and a LOT of what chickens do are driven by instinct - are that there's supposed to be a rooster around somewhere to help escort her to the nest boxes and back again. This instinct leads her to make the escort call, which many people (not understanding all this) call the egg song.

Mine have been laying for several months now, and generally the only noise they make is when waiting for a flock sister to get off the nest that they want (which is right next to an identical and empty one. ) The only one who still makes an escort call/ egg song is the buff Orpington, who otherwise is the most chill and mellow member of the flock. (Other than alarm calls for seen or suspected predators - she has assumed the role of flock protector.)

 

[first_chicken]

You may have misinterpreted @Shadrach 's reply a bit. It doesn't matter that you don't have a rooster. Her instincts - and a LOT of what chickens do are driven by instinct - are that there's supposed to be a rooster around somewhere to help escort her to the nest boxes and back again. This instinct leads her to make the escort call, which many people (not understanding all this) call the egg song.

Mine have been laying for several months now, and generally the only noise they make is when waiting for a flock sister to get off the nest that they want (which is right next to an identical and empty one. ) The only one who still makes an escort call/ egg song is the buff Orpington, who otherwise is the most chill and mellow member of the flock. (Other than alarm calls for seen or suspected predators - she has assumed the role of flock protector.)

I see. Then does it mean if I escort her to the nest box then she will stop? I did try to put her to the box several times, sometimes she will behave like laying, and sometimes just run out of the box. This chicken is the most talkative one. My brahma and cochin are really quiet. She escaped from the raccoon's attack when she was young, and her sister died. Not sure if that resulted in the talkative behavior.

 

[first_chicken]

Some of them are just more vocal than others. Some are "drama queens" that will carry on at the slightest provocation. If you're worried about your neighbors, either move your set up as far as possible away from them or try driving them with some fresh eggs.

Sounds a good idea to bribe my neighbor with eggs!

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Hi I see. Then does it mean if I escort her to the nest box then she will stop? I did try to put her to the box several times, sometimes she will behave like laying, and sometimes just run out of the box. This chicken is the most talkative one. My brahma and cochin are really quiet. She escaped from the raccoon's attack when she was young, and her sister died. Not sure if that resulted in the talkative behavior.

Well, that’s an interesting question - you providing an, umm, escort service!

My understanding is that this is hardwired into the chicken brain, from the days in which they lived wild and in the open, and needed a bit of a guardian to protect them from predators as they left the flock to lay in a hidden nest and then return to wherever the flock had wandered while they were laying. Instinct rarely yields to logic or common sense, so I kinda doubt it.

As to why she does it when the others don’t, I’d bet it’s more genetic than from experience.

Gently, I would like to push back a bit on where you wrote:

I am really exhausted by her noise.

You sound awfully stressed out about, well, noise. I heard traffic noise in the background which seemed as loud or louder than your pullet. And if you live in a neighborhood with smaller lots, I’ll bet there’s a lot more noise from all the Barky McBarkBarks around you. Have you gotten indications that your neighbors are angry? Are you feeling overwhelmed by the learning curve of chicken-raising? Something else?

Compared to dogs or even cats, chickens are relatively low maintenance, but they do occasionally make noise, and Lord, do they poop. It’s understandable to occasionally swerve over into “What have I gotten myself into?” If that’s happening, don’t beat yourself up over it.

If you’re worried about your neighbors, maybe invite them over one day to meet the chickens. They might be wondering what level of chickening you have going on and would be reassured to know that you don’t have plans for 200 hens and 15 roosters. And once you get a stream of eggs coming in, maybe share some.

Good luck!

 

[rosemarythyme]

I see. Then does it mean if I escort her to the nest box then she will stop? I did try to put her to the box several times, sometimes she will behave like laying, and sometimes just run out of the box. This chicken is the most talkative one.

It probably depends on if she finds you suitable as the "rooster" but mine don't accept a human escort as a substitute.

Really no reason to be putting her in the box (if she was already laying and not using the box, that's a different matter). It's probably just stressing her out.

Some chickens are just talkative. She might quiet down once she starts to lay... or she might not. If noise is a factor rehoming might be your best bet. I can hear my noisiest hens over the neighbor's roosters even when I'm closer to their house than my own.