Do chickens sing the egg song because they laid an egg or because they sense the urgency to lay an egg?

[ArmelChix]

Do chickens sing the egg song because they laid an egg or because they have an egg they need to lay?
I ask the question because none of my chickens engage in that behavior after they've laid an egg. I have four hens so it's not hard to keep track of them. For the past 3 months, every time they were singing the song, I went outside to observe their behavior. And, every single time, they were actually yelling because they needed to lay an egg or they were looking to use their choice nest and another chicken was in it.

 

[Chicken_tiger_catt]

good question............. I have 3 hens that lay in the house, and 1 of them sings while she lays, whereas the other 2 sing when they go back outside, or if they see each other in the house.

 

[Chicken_tiger_catt]

good question............. I have 3 hens that lay in the house, and 1 of them sings while she lays, whereas the other 2 sing when they go back outside, or if they see each other in the house.

if it makes any difference, the one who sings while she lays is Plymouth Barred Rock, whereas the other two are an Australorp and a RIR. they are all one year old, and were raised as sisters.

 

[WingItRanch]

I've had it where one will sing (hadn't laid her first egg yet) when another one is laying an egg and the others, even the rooster, will join in. Who knows with these crazy chickens!

 

[Dominique King]

I have some that sing after they lay.
The funny thing is that the rest of the flock joins in so I know when one of the two singing hens lay.
I have 23 hens and two roos so there is a lot of noise. lol

 

[GlicksChicks]

I actually just experienced this today. I have 2 Black Copper Marans × Buckeye mix girls who were in the coop while I was cleaning this morning.

One girl would lay in the nesting box while the other girl would be making the egg song. Then the girl in the nest would leave the box and make the egg song without having laid an egg, then the other one would get in the box until one of them gave up and left.

And I have a Speckled Sussex who makes the egg song just for the heck of it.

So it really depends on the chicken!

 

[saysfaa]

Either or both. This article by Shadrach explains what it is -
Egg song-escort call

In a multigenerational flock that free ranges, it is much more likely to be both before she lays and after she lays because the instinct gets reinforced by what the rooster does. In an all hen flock or or with a young rooster figuring things out without experienced roosters to learn from or a setup with minimal run space, it is more likely the instinct will show in some part(s) of the call(s) and behaviors but all.

 

[PopoMyers]

Sometimes before, or after, or whenever they want. I have been excited to check on, and find it was a false alarm.