I gathered this information for a friend and thought that I would go ahead and post it here just in case someone else would like to see it.
Characteristics Indicating Ability to Lay
Character Layer Non-layer
Comb and Wattles Large, bright red, glossy Small, dull, shriveled
Head Neat, refined Beefy, weak
Eye Bright, prominent Dull, sunken
Eye ring Bleached Yellow tinted
Beak Bleached Yellow
Abdomen Deep, soft, pliable Shallow, tough, tight
Pubic bones Flexible, wide apart Stiff, close together
Vent Large, moist, bleached Small, dry, puckered, yellow
As the hen produces eggs, she diverts yellow color from certain portions of her body and deposits it into the yolks of the eggs. Bleaching of various parts of the hen's body is a very good indicator of the time the hen has been in production. The loss of color is easily seen in yellow-skinned breeds such as the white leghorns and birds on diets containing sources of the coloring agents. In the white-skinned breeds the bleaching effect is less pronounced and more difficult to detect.
Bleaching of Yellow Coloring
Body Part Time After First Egg
Vent 4-7 days
Eye Ring 7-10 days
Ear Lobes (white leghorn) 14-21 days
Base of Beak 4-6 weeks
Tip of Beak 6-8 weeks
Bottom of Feet 8-10 weeks
Front of Shanks 15-18 weeks
Rear of Shanks 20-24 weeks
Hock Joint about 24 weeks
I got this information from:
http://www.msstate.edu/dept/poultry/extcull.htm
Characteristics Indicating Ability to Lay
Character Layer Non-layer
Comb and Wattles Large, bright red, glossy Small, dull, shriveled
Head Neat, refined Beefy, weak
Eye Bright, prominent Dull, sunken
Eye ring Bleached Yellow tinted
Beak Bleached Yellow
Abdomen Deep, soft, pliable Shallow, tough, tight
Pubic bones Flexible, wide apart Stiff, close together
Vent Large, moist, bleached Small, dry, puckered, yellow
As the hen produces eggs, she diverts yellow color from certain portions of her body and deposits it into the yolks of the eggs. Bleaching of various parts of the hen's body is a very good indicator of the time the hen has been in production. The loss of color is easily seen in yellow-skinned breeds such as the white leghorns and birds on diets containing sources of the coloring agents. In the white-skinned breeds the bleaching effect is less pronounced and more difficult to detect.
Bleaching of Yellow Coloring
Body Part Time After First Egg
Vent 4-7 days
Eye Ring 7-10 days
Ear Lobes (white leghorn) 14-21 days
Base of Beak 4-6 weeks
Tip of Beak 6-8 weeks
Bottom of Feet 8-10 weeks
Front of Shanks 15-18 weeks
Rear of Shanks 20-24 weeks
Hock Joint about 24 weeks
I got this information from:
http://www.msstate.edu/dept/poultry/extcull.htm
