Assorted poultry question New question, page 4

[Beekissed]

The only surefire way to tell who is laying is to do a digital exam...yep, stick yer finger right on up there! I do this after they have went to roost. If you feel an egg, they are laying the next day. Mark those.

The next night I examine the ones that are marked to see if they are daily layers~if they have another egg, its likely they are.

Then I feel up the ones that didn't have an egg the previous night....if they are without eggs for two nights in a row, they are history. I'll support a hen who lays every other day but none who lay more infrequently.

All other ways of determining laying are incredibly fallible...trust me, I've killed a few great laying hens by checking vents, color of the legs, wideness of pelvic bones, etc.

 

[Rebecka]

The only surefire way to tell who is laying is to do a digital exam...yep, stick yer finger right on up there! I do this after they have went to roost. If you feel an egg, they are laying the next day. Mark those.

Wow! Really ? You aren't just screwing with the newbie right? Cause I have always liked you and that would be really darned mean

I have to admit, I dont even know what vents are. So, to be iffy about how to even check them would provide not so great results I think. Really.. you mean it? Digital exam huh? I think I have some KY around here somewhere

 

[Beekissed]

I'm dead dog serious, Becka! Slip on a latex glove and grease up....slowly and gently insert your finger up and back into the anus....you won't be able to touch the egg itself but should be able to palpate the hardness of the eggshell through the intestinal wall.

If I'm lyin', I'm dyin'!

 

[Rebecka]

Wait!?! the anus ???? I am not saying I can't do this , but I have to admit that seems kind of personal, you know ? and I am a bit on the stunned side
These are really sweet , loving, affectionate hens. Is this going to traumatize them? I don't want them to start looking at me as the 'invader' since I have always been the 'treat and affection lady'

 

[Beekissed]

Nah...mine are used to being violated by the roo....a little gentle probing never hurt any mature gal!

Never know...they just might come to like it and start following you even when you don't have treats to offer.......

 

[Rebecka]

Beekissed, up until you started posting to this thread, I was looking forward to what folks had to say. H*ll, I might be more traumatized than the chickens now!

Okay, seriously..
gloves, lube .. is this a two person job? Their roosters are normally pretty good with me handling them , but this might be a bit much for their menfolk. Should I take them out of the yard for this?

 

[Farmfresh]

The less invasive way to do this ... and it takes some practice for sure, is to feel of the pubic bones.

With a non-laying hen only one finger will fit between the pubic bones. The pelvis will feel firm and almost stiff when you are pressing around down there.

A laying hen will have widely spread pubic bones. You should be able to lay three fingers (or two with a small hen) side beside between the bones. The whole area will be soft and supple.

The non-laying hen will usually have a pale comb. Her legs and beak will usually be brightly colored. While a laying hen's comb is usually bright and her beak and legs will begin to lose coloring.

 

[star2525]

I've never done that with my birds, I don't like that approach, if any of my hens would become eggbound or have an egg broken inside of them from probing I'd feel just awful and be the one to blame, it's easier for me to separate by breed and watch for the eggs that are laid from those birds.

How many Rhode Island Red Hens do you have?

How many Buff Orpington Hens do you have?

I know you said you let them out to free range, so there is at least one coop, if you put the Reds out in the morning early and keep the Orpingstons inside the Coop until they lay their eggs you'll know which lay the larger eggs, then if you do that for 2 days and then switch to letting the Orpingtons out and keeping the Reds in for a couple of days you'll know what you get from them.

I'm guessing from what you said about 120 some birds, 22 are Roosters or cockrels that you currently have, and you got rid of 30 males down to the 22 you have now, so that makes about 70 hens is my guess, do you have 35 of each breed? in the Hens?

At least separating them by breed you'll see what each breeds eggs look like, and you'll know which are laying those larger eggs that you're looking for. I don't think probing is going to tell you who has those large eggs, that's visual once the eggs are laid.
I wouldn't dream of probing with my birds, a couple of the breeds I have I only have a pair of and they was way too hard to come by to take any chance of messing with their reproductive tract.

Just expressing how I feel on the subject, I have no room for wasting genetics with what I have is why I say that and I'd feel awful if something happened

Victoria

 

[Rebecka]

I could hurt one of my girls for doing this ? I go to great lengths to make sure my girls have the best of everything. No less than I would do for someone who lived in the house with me. Yeah, I know there are a lot of them. Todays head count produced 28 buff hens ( the older ones) 2 old buff roosters, 3 painted wyndotte roosters, 3 barred rock roosters , 2 RIR roosters and 117 RIR hens.

Don't get me wrong.. I love my roos too. I am just starting to look at winter feed ( we just started the worm beds in the barn for our girls, but that will be another thread) overall 'yard sanity' and wintering space.

The buffs and the reds will be separated by this time next week and lord providing , the meat rabbits will have their own space too. I have a whole lotta irons in the fire!

I really like the idea of not invading my girls. Don't get me wrong, I will if I have to, but if I could hurt them for doing so, I would want some hands on instruction. Beekissed, I swear I am not 'chickening out"

 

[star2525]

I'd keep all of the Buff Roosters even if they are old, and all of the Rhode Island Red Roosters even if they are old, I'd despur them for sure, if you don't have any hens in the Wyandottes or the Barred Rocks, those would be the ones I'd consider selling or decide which breed would be the most profitable to keep, look up egg production on them and see what it says for their particular breed, I think you're good on the Rhode Island Reds and the Buff Orpingtons as far as egg production, I think those are supposed to be good layers overall.

Are there no hens for the other Roosters?

I think before I dispatched those Roosters I'd see if someone is needing that particular breed, particularly the Wyandottes, that is a pretty popular breed.

Sounds like the easiest to check is going to be the Orpingtons as there are fewer of those than the others. I'd lock those in the coop and see what your eggs look like from them.

Victoria