**Egg Update** Signs of an egg????

[Eliz]

I just went out to make sure everyone got back into the coop for the night and locked up safe. I have two sex links that are 22 weeks old but have not seen eggs yet. I bent down to pick up one of the hens and she did a "squat" and her vent kind of bubbled out!!?? The other hen did not do this.

Am I getting close to an egg?

Should I check the yard for an egg?



****~~~~UPDATE~~~~****

I left the house early this morning and left the chickens in the coop

But when I got home I let them out through the chicken door. When I opened my door to the coop to check water, food, and so forth guess what was sitting on the floor of the coop.

FIRST EGG!
FIRST EGG!


I now wonder if she has been laying them while free ranging? Should I keep them confine to the coop and run area's for the next couple of days or let her figure things out on her own? After I took the egg she did seem to be looking around in the coop for it. Had a nice plastic replacement in the nest box!

 

[Colored Egg Farmer]

yep thats a major egg sign

 

[PaintedMeadows]

My hens starting doing that about 2 weeks before laying but about 2 or 3 days before laying I checked their pelvic bones and they were spread way apart. 3 fingers width versus 1 finger or less in a nonlaying hen. That was the best indicator for me that they were close. I'm testing it out on a third hen as we speak. She is making a nest and squating, red and plump comb and waddles but still only 1 finger width so waiting a little longer. Hope that helps a bit. I am new to this but these are my observations.

 

[Eliz]

moving this up for the update

 

[gumpsgirl]

HOORAY!

 

[miron28]

congrats!

 

[lowcountrypoultry]

Congrats on the first egg!!

 

[Attack Chicken]

GRATZ on your first egg!!!

 

[Eliz]

Well we got an egg the first day, the second day she put an egg right beside the plastic one in the nest box! Today I guess she needed a break.

 

[Mahonri]

One of my 18 just layed her first egg today and it looks alot like yours... but the white spots were all around the middle part of the egg.