Why does my rooster sound like he's laying an egg?

[Rainekitty]

Seriously, I've heard the egg song from my hens, and I've heard that roosters will encourage hens to lay by helping them sing the song or going into the nesting box, but my rooster, who has never done it before, has suddenly starting vocalizing what sounds similar to the egg song at random times during the day. The first time, The flock was out free-ranging late in the day. No one was laying, attempting to lay, or thinking about laying. He was so loud and insistent at first I thought it was a predator warning call. The hens just ignored him.

Then, today, I heard it again. About 10 a.m., but the hens were lounging in the dirt in their run. The rooster was singing a very insistent version of the egg song, and again all the hens were just ignoring him.

He is a very vocal rooster to begin with, and I have some 10-11 week old BCM chicks in the coop next door (their coops/runs are within 2 feet of each other), wondering if this has anything to do with it? Is he just showing off? Teaching the chicks who's boss?

 

[Wynette]

They make that sound (typically) when they are attempting to call the hens to him if he senses some sort of danger. He's probably quite frustrated they're not responding. It's perfectly normal, though. They also make that sound when they are themselves upset. I hear this often when I go into a pen to remove hens that need to be moved to another pen or treated for something. The cock birds get upset because I'm messing with their gals & will loudly sing their version of what sounds like the egg song.

 

[sourland]

Sounds as if he is feeling good and just 'cheering on' his flock.

 

[Rainekitty]

They make that sound (typically) when they are attempting to call the hens to him if he senses some sort of danger. He's probably quite frustrated they're not responding. It's perfectly normal, though. They also make that sound when they are themselves upset. I hear this often when I go into a pen to remove hens that need to be moved to another pen or treated for something. The cock birds get upset because I'm messing with their gals & will loudly sing their version of what sounds like the egg song.

Okay- well that makes sense. I don't know what he might have sensed the other day, but he did seem very irritated this morning. He did his watered down version of challenging me, which involves pathetically flying at me at low speed while I hold up my open-toed sandal-ed foot to stop him (left my muck boots outside and they got rained on). And then I heard him singing shortly afterwards. The new chicks include three boys and he may be stressed out by them. I'm not trying to take his girls but he may not realize that.

 

[deeglenn]

"My grandma said" that when the hen is laying, the rooster knows she is more vulnerable and he makes a big fuss to alert predators that they will have to go through him first. His egg song is like a protection song. Made as much sense to me as anything.

 

[Chicken Alabama]

When my hens are laying eggs and begin the egg laying song, my rooster chimes in with a louder version of the same song. Each time she clucks he clucks right after her. After she is done he will crow 3-4 times very loudly and flap his wings.