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Why do hens cluck loudly after laying an egg?

I have kept domestic fowl free-range for almost 60 years, namely bantams and .

This is what I have observed: a hen enters the nest 10 to 20 minutes before laying and settles herself. She stands to lay the egg, which is soft-shelled and hardens on contact with the air. She then sits quietly for a few minutes, preening, crooning and resting.

The hen then jumps up from the nest with a loud cackle and, given the freedom of the range, runs a considerable distance. The dominant rooster hears the cackling, runs with wings outstretched to the hen and mates with her immediately. He then performs a “stamping” display and both go off happy. So it seems that the cackle helps to attract the rooster to mate once an egg is laid.

If there are rival males, the rooster will patrol outside the nest like any expectant father, and then mate with the hen as soon as she has finished laying. In that case, the cackle may be quiet to non-existent.

When mating at other times, the stamping display comes beforehand and there is no cackling.

Nina Dougall, Malmsbury, Victoria, Australia

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This article appeared in print under the headline “Clucking on”