What's my girl telling me?

Hello! That is what is often called a 'cackle'. :) Chickens do it for one of two reasons:

1: Chickens will cackle when one of the hens lays an egg
2: They will cackle when they are in distress (a predator is nearby).

Most avian specialists are not 100% sure of the reason that chickens cackle when they lay an egg. However, one theory suggests that it causes small predators (the ones that are most likely to steal eggs) to think that a larger predator is getting the chickens. This would deter small predators/egg-stealers away from the chickens' nesting areas.

Hope that this helped answer your question. :)
 
She has yet to lay an egg, she's roughly 6 months old.
I have nesting boxes for her but I haven't seen one yet.
If she chose to not lay in the nest boxes, you won't know if she has laid an egg yet, until you find her stash.
Check the space between her pelvic bones. If it is over 2 finger width, she's probably already laying.
 
One of my hens will make that sound when they're in some sort of perceived distress, usually being separated from the rest of the flock when the rest of the flock has moved to a different area. All I know is that when one of them start that cackling my dog runs outside to chase off anything that might be bothering them.
 

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