How Do I Know If My Hens & Ducks Are Laying? (Do The Finger Test)

*** How Do I Know If My Hens & Ducks Are Laying? (Do The Finger Test) ***

A common question that gets asked quite a lot is, "How do i know if my Hens & Ducks are laying" - the sure fire way of knowing if they are laying is obviously when they pop an egg out, but let's face it we cannot hang around waiting all day to see which one or ones are laying, so there has to be a easier way of finding out whether or not your Hens or Ducks are laying, right?

DO THE FINGER TEST - What's that you may ask?

Hens and Ducks have pelvic bones that stick out near their vent, feel their back sides and you will feel them. Old timers / poultry keepers have insisted for years that 1 or 2 fingers between the pelvic bones and your Hens and Ducks aren't laying but 3 fingers between the pelvic bones and they are laying.

HOW DO I CHECK - You may ask?

1. Pick up your Hen or Duck and hold firmly under your arm (use a towel to wrap the wings if needs be).

2. Turn the Hen or Duck around so their back end is facing away from you.

3. DO NOT tip the Hen or Duck upside down.

4. Gently feel near the vent for two bones (these are called the pelvic bones).

5. Place 1 or 2 or 3 fingers between these pelvic bones. 

As the 1st diagram shows (open pelvic bones) = LAYER (3 fingers).

As the 2nd diagram shows (closed pelvic bones) = NONE LAYER (1 or 2 fingers).

This diagram shows you how to place your fingers between the pelvic bones.

SO, if you can fit 1 or 2 fingers between the pelvic bones then your Hen or Duck isn't likely to be laying but if you can fit 3 fingers between the pelvic bones then your Hen or Duck is almost certainly laying. 

NONE LAYER

LAYER

ANY OTHER WAYS OF TELLING IF THEY ARE LAYING? - I hear you ask?

Then the answer is yes there is...., (Crouching tiger? Submissive squat? The Stomp?) or whatever you may call it (submissive squat is the correct term) is another way of telling if you Hens or Ducks are laying.

Submissive Squat

When your Hen or Duck does this submissive squat this is readying for the Cockerel or Drake for mating, again your Hen or Duck is more likely to be laying when they do this. 

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