Question How to identify hens which aren't laying?

[Reboot]

Now that we have over come our 'Badstart' last year (I should really think of a better name now!) we have a small flock of Wyandottes which are laying consistently about 4 dozen eggs that we can sell to cover our feed costs. We have also started just this week with a Hovabator incubator and will start supplementing our flock with incubated eggs as well as natural clutch's if we have broody hens that wish to take up that task. That Hovabator takes getting used to but I've been playing with the settings and I think I am ready to load up and start our first hatch attempt now that I have an idea how humidity is managed. My question is this; is there a way to identify which hens are laying in our flock and which are not? This summer we hope to increase our meat birds for next winter so we have enough each month moving forward and if a hen isn't laying then feeding her isn't cost effective unless its destined for the stew pot with the roosters.

[Ontario Chick]

Yes, here is a way to identify the hens that are laying. It does involve checking the nether regions :)
Hen that is laying will have bright red comb and wattles, wide mist looking vent and the pubic bones will be wide set, with the abdomen soft and deep and feathers somewhat tragedy looking.
The hen not laying will have a lovely shiny plumage vent puckered and dry, pubic bones narrow, comb small and pale.
Keep in mind the hens lay in a form of "clutches" depending on a breed and then take a small break.
You may inadvertently suspect a hen of being no layer when she is between clutches or going in to molt, some aren't that obvious molters and you may miss it, while others pretty much denude themselves, which is pretty hard to miss.
If you are planning to increase your flock by adding your own pullets (as we have done over the years) the simplest system that has worked for us is banding the birds by different color of band for different year, that way you can occasionally delegate the older birds for a soup pot, to make room for the younger birds.
This picture shows me at a glance that there are couple pullets and one 3 year old hen

[poultry_admin]

Now that we have over come our 'Badstart' last year (I should really think of a better name now!)

If you do, let me know, I'll gladly change the username for you.

[ross]

How bout “RESTART” lol

[Ontario Chick]

I think it's called "REBOOT" now...