How to tell if an Americauna is still laying?

[emi love]

We recently purchased hens that were supposed to be 1 year old. Two of them are Amercaunas. It seems like one is laying and the other is not. Since this bird isn't your traditional bird with yellow feet where you can tell egg lay with bleaching... is there a way/ways to tell if an Americauna is laying or not?

 

[Gofygure]

I guess the easiest way would be to separate one, even if it's only in the mornings. Give her a few days with her own private nesting box and you should know.

 

[sumi]

I've checked my livestock and poultry book and this is what they say:
You can check using the "finger test" to measure the width between the pelvic ones. These can be felt on either side of the vent. If you can fit 2 finger-widths comfortably in between them, chances are your hen is laying.
Another way to check is to examine the vent. A non-layer's vent will be small, round and yellowish. That of a pullet approaching lay will be expanding and turning white. The best indication of a pullet which is laying today is a moist, enlarged vent.

 

[emi love]

Thanks, Guys. Since separating them is not an option with the kind of enclosure we've got going, I'll look into to the finger width test and likely this abdomen fat test I've read about. Will give them another week or two to adjust to our new environment (since they're new) and then if still not laying, can do both these tests.


~e