what is squatting? and egg song?

[Wendy'sChicksRock]

Is squating when they kinda stamp their feet when you go to pick them up? and i must

keep missing the egg song do they do it everytime they lay?

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

Squatting is when they squat down in front of you with their wings slightly spread out. It is their recognition of you as the dominate roo/hen. It is also what they do in front of roos or dominate hens to show submission. If you go on youtube, you can look up egg song to hear what is sounds like. I did that so I would know. My girls just started laying so I know when one will be laying an egg. However, as I have learned, the egg song is not alway sung for egg laying. They use it other times as well. I have a pullet who makes no sounds whatsoever when she is going to lay/lays and egg. However, I have noticed that the other girls will all sing the egg song collectively for about and hour or two before she lays. Weird but true.

 

[CMV]

Yes, that sounds like squatting. I had not heard of the "egg song" until I came to BYC. My older hens are relatively quiet and not very vocal. The "egg song" is the vocalization that hens do when they are wanting some attention whether that be because they just laid an egg, or because they are mad at one of their coop mates, or because they wandered off during free-ranging and have lost the flock. The "egg song" does not always mean there is an egg. It frequently just means that one of your hens has a bee in her bonnet about something and wants to yell about it.

 

[spish]

my roo tends to sing the egg song on the girls behalf. if he sees one going in the house to lay, he gets up on the roof of the house or stamps around infront of the door singing his egg song, then crows a bit, more egg song, crows again..and carries on until the lady is back outside