Should I be on egg watch?

[Katie’s Coop]

my 21 week old leghorn has been squawking a lot this past week and I’m still waiting for her first egg. I checked her today and she immediately squatted so I checked her vent. It looks like the photo and is pulsating

 

[ChickenCanoe]

A pulsating vent may be normal but it may be egg bound.
Check the space between the two pointy pelvic bones. It should be at least 2 finger width.

 

[Katie’s Coop]

I did a pelvic exam on all 10 girls 2 days ago and none seem to be “ready”. She is pooping ok and eating constantly. Are 1st eggs often egg bound?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

UHG, I wasn't expecting that to be looking me in the eye!

Hey, hope you are enjoying BYC!

Yes, I would be on egg watch!

My girls usually get very vocal a week or so before. Might see them pacing the boxes. Sometimes they even practice a time or two before an egg appears. Squatting is very variable.. up to a month in advance for some and other will never squat. That squawking is a dead give away that it's very close! If you don't already have girls laying I would put some sort of fake egg, golf ball... in the nest where you want her to lay. My leghorn also laid very late but still great from there on.

 

[Katie’s Coop]

This method seems questionable to me. Different breeds are bigger or smaller and we all have different size fingers.

 

[Katie’s Coop]

UHG, I wasn't expecting that to be looking me in the eye!

Hey, hope you are enjoying BYC!

Yes, I would be on egg watch!

My girls usually get very vocal a week or so before. Might see them pacing the boxes. Sometimes they even practice a time or two before an egg appears. Squatting is very variable.. up to a month in advance for some and other will never squat. That squawking is a dead give away that it's very close! If you don't already have girls laying I would put some sort of fake egg, golf ball... in the nest where you want her to lay. My leghorn also laid very late but still great from there on.

Well she has been squawking up a storm this past week. I have ceramic eggs in 2 of the 4 nest boxes. None of my gals have started to lay yet. Mixed flock 21-23 weeks in age. I have 5 that “appear” ready based on size & color of combs/waddles. Thank you for the advice, that’s why I joined the group. Been reading and learning everything I can cause I love my ladies.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

This method seems questionable to me. Different breeds are bigger or smaller and we all have different size fingers.

That's very true and I often think of that when I give that advice but that's the method we've always used.
My fingers are really fat but not as fat as my dad's were. My mom called them sausages.
Even bantams lay eggs large enough to need a fair amount of space between the bones to be able to pass an egg. If it is closer to a single finger width, there's not enough room.
Just don't use kids' fingers to judge.

 

[BantyChooks]

Even bantams lay eggs large enough to need a fair amount of space between the bones to be able to pass an egg.

Yep... my OEGBs have nearly the same pelvic width that my LF Partridge Chanteclers do.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I did a pelvic exam on all 10 girls 2 days ago and none seem to be “ready”. She is pooping ok and eating constantly. Are 1st eggs often egg bound?

Egg binding can affect pullets because of space or any bird that is laying a soft egg.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Well, the shortest day of the year just passed so a lot of those ladies might start thinking about laying pretty soon. All are individuals though, regardless of what's allegedly normal for their breed. Some may even sing the egg song when they get startled shortly (weeks) before they lay.

When you notice a lady gone missing and nothing else out of the ordinary... she's probably busy. Sometimes it can take a couple of hours. I've seen broody raised chicks and a (boy)brood mate both be told to stay while the hens went to lay their eggs. I'll never figure out how they communicated it AND got cooperation! But it was sure cool to see.

Egg binding is possible even at the first one, but that probably isn't it this time. Always good have things on your radar though! Oh and white leghorn are quite striking to see their big red combs on their petite bodies. Everybody just loved to see that girl, she was a character too. Pics of the other end ALWAYS welcome!

Eggs are coming, very exciting!