Does seeing eggs trigger egg laying?

[Zara]

I´m curious if anyone else who has multiple hens have noticed if when a hen sees another hen has an egg, does she then lay an egg herself?

Lapis laid an egg on the cage floor yesterday in the early hours of the morning before I uncovered her for the day. Then I noticed Aldora kept going to the nearest part of her cage she could to look, and now she is sat in that corner with Jaime tending to her.

(These two have their cages right up together because they get on very well - beaks can´t reach each other through the cages though).

 

[conureluv]

@Birdbabe ? (I’m still relatively new to the Avenue, so I don’t know many people to tag for this)

 

[Mockinbirdiva]

I had two GCC hens that stayed together in a flight cage... when one layed, the other did as well. I never observed any type of mating behavior between the two... both were dna females. I'm wondering in your case if vocalizations could be a trigger from your hen that laid the egg for Aldora.

 

[Birdbabe]

I've had girls lay together too, usually one...then the other a few days later. Snowpea and Chloe do this also, but Snow hasnt had an egg in a while.

 

[Zara]

I'm wondering in your case if vocalizations could be a trigger from your hen that laid the egg for Aldora.

I don´t know. They are mother and daughter and all four get on very well.
Adélie is also a daughter and is just a couple of metres away with Sydney and isn´t sitting on the cage floor or broody or anything like that.

Very interesting that you two both have girls that lay after another hen laid an egg too...

 

[camelotshadow]

I am a bit concerned so never let Penny see a chicken egg as dont want her to get any ideas.
I give her a bit of egg white from time to time.

I imagine it could be that the environmental conditions (light, food, sleep etc) are similar so if its right for egg laying for one its right for all of them but can't rule out that they observing each other does not influence it.

 

[Ripshod]

Great question!
I'd imagine in the wild they'd not see another bird's eggs. Yet they are still well synchronised, supporting the environment theory @camelotshadow brought up. The monkey see monkey do theory can only be proven with a solo female seeing an egg and going into egg-laying mode within days. I don't see anyone risking egg binding just to prove a theory though, I certainly wouldn't recommend it.

 

[Mockinbirdiva]

I don´t know. They are mother and daughter and all four get on very well.
Adélie is also a daughter and is just a couple of metres away with Sydney and isn´t sitting on the cage floor or broody or anything like that.

Very interesting that you two both have girls that lay after another hen laid an egg too...

Neither of my two female crimsons have ever laid eggs. They are allowed a short window of time to spend with Casey where they can preen, heavy flirting goes on but I just don't allow mating. Casey doesn't quite seem to know what to do but if he was given free opportunity in a cage with a hen I don't doubt he would 'figure it out'. Even in the short window of time they spend together one on one either hen may and has plucked feathers from Casey ( Ruby pulls the whole feather shaft and all and chews the base) ( Scarlette will pull more downey feathers from his abdomen) a fight is inevitable. It's more of a squabble with Ruby as she incessantly tries to pull additional feathers to which she is removed from his open perch and placed back on me... with Scarlette it turns into a vicious fight between her and Casey and I have to intervene because neither will back down. Scarlette and Ruby can't spend a nano-second together without viciously attacking one another ( sisters!)

I'm wondering if Aldora will also lay after Lapis. Time will tell!

 

[Zara]

I'm wondering if Aldora will also lay after Lapis. Time will tell!

This morning I woke up the birds..... and we have a full house. Aldora AND Adelie laid eggs overnight.
I had spotted Adelies huge bump last night, and it is a bit worrying after she already laid recently (and ended up calcium deficient, losing her flight). I had reduced her seed to treats only (becuase I suspect they werefavouring seed in the bowl) so hopefully she will be ok but I´m keeping a close eye on her.
Aldoras egg was laid in that corner.