Tiny silkie squatting!

[wemimew]

Sorry I am newish to chickens and my first batch of baby silkies are growing up! They are around 5 months old now and one of my little girls is confusing me. This girl is tiny and this week started doing massive poops and squatting! Does this mean she will lay soon or can they do this for several months before they lay? Do I need to watch out for her being egg bound at half the size of a mature silkie bantam it will she pop out marbles? Thanks everyone - any advice would be very reassuring

 

[Mvan42]

Sounds like she is ready to start laying anytime. Most hens lay a few soft eggs before they get the hang of it, sometimes they have no yolk in them. Also younger hens normally start laying smaller eggs and ones they grow the eggs will get to a normal size.

 

[aart]

started doing massive poops

This cracked me up!
I find it amazing how their poops triple in size near point of lay,
no more cute little baby pullet poops

Squatting is a sign she may be near to laying, could be a couple weeks or tomorrow.
Here's some tips on how to (kinda) tell....
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

 

[Gerty0630]

This cracked me up!
I find it amazing how their poops triple in size near point of lay,
no more cute little baby pullet poops

Squatting is a sign she may be near to laying, could be a couple weeks or tomorrow.
Here's some tips on how to (kinda) tell....
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

OMG that's a thing??? The massive poops?! I'm waiting on 5 hens to lay right now and I swear to god their poops look like small dog poops!

 

[wemimew]

OMG that's a thing??? The massive poops?! I'm waiting on 5 hens to lay right now and I swear to god their poops look like small dog poops!

I know! My daughter saw hers and panicked thinking something got in there last night!

 

[wemimew]

This cracked me up!
I find it amazing how their poops triple in size near point of lay,
no more cute little baby pullet poops

Squatting is a sign she may be near to laying, could be a couple weeks or tomorrow.
Here's some tips on how to (kinda) tell....
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

That article was fantastic - thanks for sharing I will try the vent check and finger spacing today and keep and eye on it (and pray she doesn’t try to pop out a large egg!)

 

[wemimew]

Here is a video of my little ones from a few days ago (hopefully I am allowed to put this on here) so you can see her (black one). All of my big girls are out foraging in the yard and the smalls don’t leave the run - but there is a tyre there for a size reference

 

[wemimew]

Here is a video of my little ones from a few days ago (hopefully I am allowed to put this on here) so you can see her (black one). All of my big girls are out foraging in the yard and the smalls don’t leave the run - but there is a tyre there for a size reference

I should also mention she is a lot of fluff and disappears to the size of a Pidgeon when she gets a bath lol

 

[wemimew]

She had her first egg this morning! And omg - it is tiny! A normal teabag for scale

 

[AuntieWeasel]

OMG that's a thing??? The massive poops?! I'm waiting on 5 hens to lay right now and I swear to god their poops look like small dog poops!

Wait until you see a broody poo! They incubate those suckers for 24 hours...they look like eggs!