Does my butt look big?

[Frazzemrat1]

does a pullet's bottom get bigger before they start laying?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

LOL. I'm not sure what you mean by bigger.

Laying hens do have more width between their pubic bones...generally 3 to 4 fingers width.

Non-laying pullets and aged hens will have only about 1 to 2 finger widths between their pubic bones. That is one way to tell if a hen is laying (the other is to check the shape and moisture of the vent..."smiley" oval and moist...laying...."puckered' and small and dry...non-laying.)

As a pullet matures, her pubic bones will spread apart more. Also, as she matures, she will come into full feather which for many breeds creates the cute little bloomer affect on the bum.

HTH
Lofmc

 

[Frazzemrat1]

That much I knew. Lol The girl in question, her pubic bones were just over 2 fingers yesterday. But today I noticed that she looked a bit, wider and puffier that her sister. They're both speckled hamburgs, ones gold and ones silver.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Well...you know the little sister will be teasing her about her fat hips now...as little sister's are want to do.

LofMc

 

[Crooked Chicken]

does a pullet's bottom get bigger before they start laying?

Yes -- your butt does look big!

I noticed that a while back -- some of my girls butts seemed wider or at least a lot "fluffier" looking along with the combs and wattles becoming larger and more colorful. I think this is more of them becoming more mature than anything. The exception seems to be the Easter Egger girls who seem to be more sleek.

So far just 1 Barred Rock laying for 1-1/2 weeks and 1 EE laid the first time today. The BR did a lot of humming and nest exploring prior to laying, and when I checked her butt, her vent would quiver. She never did do a major squat when approached and no fanfare with her egg song.

The EE has sounded very pitiful the past several days and she does a mean squat -- looks like a little hardbody and wings up a bit at the shoulder. Her vent also quivers a lot. I was beginning to get worried. Her first egg came today and I missed her egg song.... but the egg is a beautiful, slightly elongated blue green. The brown egg is the BR.

I've noticed a few other girls with the big fluffy butts who appear to have some quivering going on under the feathers too so might see more eggs soon.

 

[Crooked Chicken]

does a pullet's bottom get bigger before they start laying?

Did your pullets lay yet?

 

[Frazzemrat1]

Did your pullets lay yet?

Yep, about a week ago she started... and we've had 4 eggs since then. So long as she isn't hiding them in the bedding. So far she's been choosing to lay on the floor of the coop, instead of the nesting boxes outside the coop in the run. I do have one nest box in the coop (for those girls who want privacy), but she has been laying under it. I just realized yesterday that all of my ladies are now old enough to lay... so waiting for everybody else to catch up now. So yea, one layer, 11 to go!

Here's her egg... Between a store bought and my swiss army knife. And in my hand. Its absolutely adorable! Maybe 2", and perfectly egg shaped!

 

[Crooked Chicken]

Yay! That's a nice looking egg! I'm not sure how the nest boxes are set up, but you might be able to slip a basket in where she laid.

It was 2 weeks after my first layer till the next started :/ and they are all the same age, give or take a day.