Buff Orp about to lay or still a ways off?

[mosomers]

I have a buff orpington whose comb, wattles, and especially ear lobes kinda change colors throughout the day. Sometimes when I look at her, her earlobes are pretty red, but I'll look again later on and they're pale, almost white. I've read that all those fleshy parts turn red when a hen is about to lay, but what about when the color vacillates?

 

[krista74]

There are other signs to look for that may indicate that laying is about to commence.

First up, how old is your girl? I have 2 BO's myself and they didn't start laying until the 22 week mark. Their combs, wattles and faces were definitely bright red, although they are still not as big as those of my RIR's.

Do your girls squat? Most will before they start laying. There is always an exception to this rule - my girls never did squat for me, but they will for their rooster.

Do they go in/out/in/out of the nest boxes all day, checking them for cosiness? They make take the rooster with them to gain his approval too!

Are they getting more vocal? Mine got quite loud in the days leading up to their first egg. They did the egg song, and they squawked really loudly, so much so that I went running to check on them. They also got a bit anxious/edgy for a few days.

Hope this gives you a few more clues to go on. Good luck!

- Krista

 

[mosomers]

Cool! That's so helpful! Thanks!