# Does all this racket mean an egg today??



## montanadolphin (Jun 18, 2013)

Quick background: I have 9 chickens...Barred Rocks: 1 rooster, 2 pullets, 22 weeks old tomorrow. 6 Commercial Blacks (BR cross), all pullets, 17 weeks old tomorrow.

A couple of days ago, one of my girls (don't know which one) started making all sorts of racket. I had put a golf ball in one of the nesting boxes because my son (he's 10) has been checking for eggs multiple times a day, and he's been learning a lot about chickens and asked me "Mom, if we put a ball in there, will it make them lay?" I said "Probably not, but lets put a golf ball in there and see, ok?" I figured the noise was because one of the girls thought she laid an egg.

This morning I went out there to let them out of the coop into their secure run, and I watched as three of them were making the same racket...one older pullet who was outside in the run, and my rooster and younger pullet still inside the coop. The younger pullet is in a nesting box, and the roo (Zeus), sitting in it right in front of her...both making this loud clucking racket.

I ran in the house and grabbed my camera and recorded them. What does all this noise mean? Is the younger pullet getting ready to lay? If so, isn't she too young? She's only a day shy of 17 weeks old...BUT...she has a larger comb and wattles than her sisters...it's like she didn't have them one day, then the next day I was like holy crap, I hope she isn't a cockerel!! And why is Zeus making the same noise? And the older pullet who's not even a part of whatever's going on between Zeus and the younger pullet? I am inside on my computer and I can hear them still making the same racket...and my windows are closed!!!

Here's the video...don't mind the camera work (lol), I wasn't really paying attention to what I was recording...just wanted to get the sound on camera. You'll see the pullet in the nesting box at the end...notice how big and red her comb and wattles are? 





This is my first time owning chicks, any insight is greatly appreciated!!


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## Smallfarmer (Jul 10, 2013)

Chickens can be a little noisy. Yours seem a little young to be laying. It could be excitement over the golf ball that they think is an egg. I could be wrong.


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## Frosty (Feb 13, 2010)

Well I don't think it will be to long before you will be finding eggs in the nest. Mine do that off and on all morning long. Mine are a bit older but if I remember right its between 17 and 22 weeks when they start laying depending on the breed I think..I often put golf balls in the nest cause it teaches them not to break the eggs..Hope you see eggs soon.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

yep normal chicken talk, you should hear my place with 50+ chickens...lol...looks like eggs for breakfast soon..that one with a big comb looks to be a rooster...he's larger and has larger comb and waddles...you will know soon when he begins going after the hens...


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## montanadolphin (Jun 18, 2013)

Frosty...you are right about finding eggs...I went out to check on them again, and look what was in the nesting box!! Our first egg!!! The pullet who laid it is 16 weeks, 6 days old!


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## montanadolphin (Jun 18, 2013)

happybleats said:


> yep normal chicken talk, you should hear my place with 50+ chickens...lol...looks like eggs for breakfast soon..that one with a big comb looks to be a rooster...he's larger and has larger comb and waddles...you will know soon when he begins going after the hens...


Yeah, Cathy...the one with the huge comb and wattles is my only roo...his name is Zeus, and I love him


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

Yummy : ) farm fresh eggs..nothing beats them...Enjoy!!

Zues is a good looking boy!


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## Smallfarmer (Jul 10, 2013)

Way to go on your first egg! Good job keeping track of the ages too. After about 3 yrs or so a chickens egg production will decrease. To help keep track of our chickens we use zip ties to band them with a different color for each year.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Oh yeah, hens cackle loudly, they want everyone know, I am laying an egg~! HeHe


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## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

At the beginning definitely an egg noise. When they all started in, they became alarmed by something...whether her cackling made them join in or if you "bothered" his hen is unknown. Lol


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## nchen7 (Feb 25, 2013)

always exciting to find an egg!!! I always say it's just like Easter, without the bunny...


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## montanadolphin (Jun 18, 2013)

I felt like a child on Christmas morning LOL!!! She laid another one for me this morning, woohoo!!! Fried it up and my boys shared it


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## nchen7 (Feb 25, 2013)

too cute!!!!


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