Needs help or about to lay??

[ChickenGal78025]

I have 4 Buff Orpingtons, all 20 weeks old. Pickle is very healthy-looking, still eating and drinking. However, yesterday, while free ranging, she seemed to be staying away from the others, hiding under bushes and let me hold her a long time. She is walking bowl-legged and wobbles back and forth when running. I checked her vent and it doesn't appear blocked. We put fake eggs in her coop and placed her with them. My guess is she is about to lay her first egg (very exciting!). Any other ideas?

 

[silkie1472]

I wouldn’t think that an egg, alone, would cause this behavior. They usually just act normal, then find a place to lay their egg. The “bow legged” part throws me off.

Keep us updated.

 

[aart]

I have 4 Buff Orpingtons, all 20 weeks old. Pickle is very healthy-looking, still eating and drinking. However, yesterday, while free ranging, she seemed to be staying away from the others, hiding under bushes and let me hold her a long time. She is walking bowl-legged and wobbles back and forth when running. I checked her vent and it doesn't appear blocked. We put fake eggs in her coop and placed her with them. My guess is she is about to lay her first egg (very exciting!). Any other ideas?

She could be close.....first egg can be a softshell which is even more confusing for them.
Their pelvic points spread when onset of lay approaches, that can change their gait.
They can pace and fuss, getting very vocal, as the first egg moves down the pike.

@ChickenGal78025 here's how to gauge pelvic spacing.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

Might want to keep them confined to coop and run so they will lay in coop nests.