is there a way to know that a chicken is going to lay

[chickenbottom]

well i know that the comb and waddles are redder in color and the pelvic bone is supose to be three fingers wide. can you feel an egg inside a chicken? i do know quite a bit about chickens but not about egg production. my girls were born the 13th of january should they be laying soon. my australorp (ruby) has gained quite a bit of weight 2 pounds in about 2 weeks and she did squat once about a month ago and never did it again and there is no sign of an egg or anything so im a little confused please help

 

[aberfitch]

they will get to it. they are just about there. but best tell tell is bright red swolen combs. you can fell the egg but you gotta be gentile or you will deform it or break it. if she had an egg in there it would be out by now. eggs don' stay in there when they are ready to come out.

 

[chickenbottom]

thank you aberfitch

and any more tips would be nice also

 

[susiestozz]

Sorry to sound pretty vague here, but we thought our newly bought chickens would NEVER lay so we rang our supplier and he mentioned something about the vent that will tell you if they are about to lay.

Like I said, sorry it's vague but worry not they WILL lay when the time is right!!

 

[fmk]

When I bought my 5 chickens I was told that they were 17 weeks old - that was 3 weeks ago - we got two eggs today - our first. The only sign was that they used the nest box for the first time yesterday - although it's been there all the time with straw bedding. I did put a golf ball in each box - it's suppose to encourage them to lay??

 

[chickenbottom]

Quote:
is the comb red and swelled up and how much do they weigh

 

[chickenbottom]

Quote:
lol what eggzactly did he say like to look for

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

Everyone of mine started squatting and let me pet them about a week before they started to lay eggs. Never fails

Even my wild crazy Faverolle let me pet her (squatting) when she was ready to lay eggs. Just reach down and try to pet them...if they squat and let you they are getting very close to laying.

 

[chickenbottom]

ya well ruby my b.a she squatted once and she hasnt since and its confusing me and maybe she isnt squatting because she never runs away from me and she always lets me hold her and touch her

 

[wildwitchy]

if your chooks are squatting they are accepting you as the cockerel so the eggs should be due soon. but just squatting is a submissive gesture aswell. sometimes they lay a few soft shelled eggs , shell less eggs or just plain strange eggs untill they get into it. thats another sign. i put false plastic eggs in the nest to tell my girls where to lay.