Pubic Bones

[mracey]

When a hens pubic bones are stiff & have closed up (1 finger wide or less), is she done laying for good, or can she go back into production again? I have been told that if they close up you might as well get rid of them.

 

[cassie]

She will probably come back into production after she gets through molting ro whatever. How old is this chicken? They usually don't lay much after about three years of age.

 

[Ariel301]

There's a lot of other things to take into consideration. No, it's not a sign that she is done for good. She might be done, if she's very old, but I've had birds 5+ years old still laying a couple of eggs a week.

 

[DTchickens]

Depends on the hens age, I wouldn't say done for good. Three years is when they tend to slow down, but some individuals can lay quite well upwards of 6 years or so. I've seen some hens that were 8 or so that laid OK, but usually around that age they are right on the edge of stopping. Just depends.


God bless,
Daniel.

 

[sourland]

It's indicative of what is generally a temporary stop in egg laying. Can be caused by molting, illness, stress, shortened day length, etc.

 

[duckinnut]

Agreed with the other posts and she will also close up if she has gone broody as well. My Irish buddy calls it clocking which is what they call it in the old country. He tells me that you check the bone to see whos clocking and you measure with two fingers and if you can feel the bone on your fingertips that they are broody. If you feel it on the outside of your fingers they aren't. Don't know if it actually works but.... I got sausages for fingers so dont get a true measure.

 

[mracey]

Most of my hens are 2 & 3 year old. I've raised chickens a long time & am familiar about the ages a hen "can" still lay, but I guess I've never paid any attention about feeling pubic bones in hens untill an older lady who has raised chickens a long time told me to check all of my hens to see if they were still capable of laying. She was the one that told me that if the bones were "completely" closed up that I might as well get rid of them because that was a sure sign that they were done. They could never open back up again Has anyone ever heard of this before?.

 

[sourland]

In my experience this is not fact.

 

[mracey]

Thanks! I just wanted to see if I could confirm this. I never had heard of this before.