how to check flexibility and spread of pubic bones

[sweet duck mom]

Okay, I'm displaying my ignorance here but how exactly do you check a duck's pubic bones for flexibility and spread. When they say to lay your fingers on top of the bones do they mean you should spread the bones apart to see how many fingers will fit or will the bones just be the two or three fingers apart without being spread. I can tell that the bones are flexible on a couple of my girls. I do realize that this is just external palpation. Hope I explained my question well enough to make sense to someone!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Okay, I'm displaying my ignorance here but how exactly do you check a duck's pubic bones for flexibility and spread. When they say to lay your fingers on top of the bones do they mean you should spread the bones apart to see how many fingers will fit or will the bones just be the two or three fingers apart without being spread. I can tell that the bones are flexible on a couple of my girls. I do realize that this is just external palpation. Hope I explained my question well enough to make sense to someone!

This is for a chicken but works for ducks too.. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/672299/how-do-i-tell-who-is-laying

 

[sweet duck mom]

Yes, I've seen that thread and also seen it explained numerous other places on the web. My question is, when they talk about the spread between the bones are you supposed to actually see how far you apart you can MOVE the bones or just the distance between the bones as they naturally lay. Sorry, I'm just not sure how to word this question.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yes, I've seen that thread and also seen it explained numerous other places on the web. My question is, when they talk about the spread between the bones are you supposed to actually see how far you apart you can MOVE the bones or just the distance between the bones as they naturally lay. Sorry, I'm just not sure how to word this question.

No don't try to spread the bones apart looks like from description your just laying your fingers on the bones

 

[sweet duck mom]

Okay, thanks! We had our first eggs this last week and when I checked the girls it was pretty obvious which had laid the eggs. My husband commented on what a proud moment it was to have gotten the girls to this point!
Kris