Is my hen laying?

[kyleigh]

I have a 21 week old Cucko maran. She has a really fluffy but, good sized comb and wattle that is RED. She is also the only one the rooster shows interest in. They free range on about 1/4 an acre. Is there a certain way to tell if she is laying, and I'm just not seeing then since they are free range? Could she be laying and eating them. Am I just being crazy and she hasn't started laying yet

. I was thinking of locking them in the coop all day tomorrow and seeing if anything shows up. Thank you!

 

[QueenMisha]

Yep, lock her up for a few days. She may be hiding her eggs. You can also check her vent; a laying hen will generally have a large, moist vent, while a non-laying one will have a small, dry vent.

 

[kyleigh]

She does seem to have a decent sized vent compared to the rest of hens. I will keep them locked up for a few days then. Where would I look for the possibly hidden eggs?