Truth or Old Wives Tale???

[lazy gardener]

Agreed, and you have to take into account the coloring in relation to the bird's laying cycle. If there was a bird who did not show any signs of laying, based on pelvic exam, and remained very highly colored while the rest of the flock was cranking out the eggs, then... it would be worth while to consider her for culling. I had such a bird a year ago. Beautiful bird, gorgeous feathers, highly colored in comb, wattles, face, and shanks. Confirmed feather picker. She never came into lay through spring and into summer. If you want details on pelvic exam for laying, check with Bee Kissed. She's an expert.

 

[Mrs. K]

I read the article, very well written, and I am going down to look.

Mrs K

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I looked!
My 2 Barred Rocks legs are a bit lighter yellow than before. I didn't do a pelvic because they are pullets and have only been laying for the last little while 1 has laid 26 eggs out of 31 days and the other just started last week so 5 eggs out of 7days. The Buff Orpingtons legs may be a bit whiter, I didn't check pelvic/vent on either of them either (all are pullets) they laid 27eggs out of 31days and 10eggs out of 16days, which I think is pretty good for them.
My SLW haven't started to lay, but combs & wattles are starting to redden, legs are still yellow, but they are hard to catch so I haven't done a physical check on them ( I'll have to wait til nighttime). They are just getting to about 29wks old so I think it will be soon. But I will definitely be curious as how the leg color goes.
Will be interesting to keep an eye on those things

 

[Ridgerunner]

The basic color of a chicken’s skin, which includes vent, beak, feet, and everything else, I purely a matter of genetics. Some are white, black, slate, green, just all kinds of shades and colors. I have some that are basically white with black speckles or freckles. You cannot use skin color to tell if a hen is laying unless she has natural yellow skin.

As a yellow-skinned hen lays she draws pigment from her skin to go into the eggs so her yellow skin lightens. How fast that pigment is drawn out depends on how many eggs she has laid over how long a time. Over time a decent laying yellow-skinned hen will get quite pale. The pigment is reduced form certain body parts in a certain order. It’s replaced in a certain order if she is not laying.

Here is an interesting article with photos to back up what I’m saying. The color of a yellow-skinned hen can be used to tell how long she has been laying. It cannot be used to tell if she is laying right now. If she doesn’t have yellow skin, you cannot use it.

http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/4aj/4aj07po/4aj07po.PDF