Hen Feels Male is Inferior

[Hannah15]

I don't think there is probably an answer for this, but I figured I would ask anyway. My hen laid one egg a couple of months ago, and I wasn't surprised when it was infertile. However, she laid two more eggs recently (within the last week and a half) and these were also infertile. I know the male has tried to "woo" her as I saw it, but she was having none of it. I think she is too bonded with people (though it isn't like she likes to be touched, she just wants to be with people, she runs to people when they are in or near the pen, she has made the "purring" sounds at me that the male was making toward her, etc.) Now the poor male concentrates on displaying to the chickens, while the hen completely ignores him. Shall I just write her off until next year when a different male will be old enough to breed? Shall I feed her oysters?

Has anyone had any luck convincing a hen that there is NOTHING WRONG with the expensive male that they are with?

Is it possible she will change her mind with some more time? They have been living together since late last summer, and they seem to legitimately like each other, they roost near each other, etc.

 

[DylansMom]

I don't think there is probably an answer for this, but I figured I would ask anyway. My hen laid one egg a couple of months ago, and I wasn't surprised when it was infertile. However, she laid two more eggs recently (within the last week and a half) and these were also infertile. I know the male has tried to "woo" her as I saw it, but she was having none of it. I think she is too bonded with people (though it isn't like she likes to be touched, she just wants to be with people, she runs to people when they are in or near the pen, she has made the "purring" sounds at me that the male was making toward her, etc.) Now the poor male concentrates on displaying to the chickens, while the hen completely ignores him. Shall I just write her off until next year when a different male will be old enough to breed? Shall I feed her oysters?

Has anyone had any luck convincing a hen that there is NOTHING WRONG with the expensive male that they are with?

Is it possible she will change her mind with some more time? They have been living together since late last summer, and they seem to legitimately like each other, they roost near each other, etc.

How old are these 2? FWIW, I remember reading something somewhere about pairing young first time breeders with older more experienced mates. Older hen with first time male or older male with first time hen. I don't remember exactly where I read it, but the idea was that it goes much better if at least one of them knows what they are doing. This year I have 2 first timer 2 yr. old hens one is paired with a very experienced older male and the other is paired with a young first timer male. So far both are laying eggs, but it looks like only one is laying fertilized eggs, and it's the one with the older male.

 

[KsKingBee]

When I was visiting with Brad Legg, he told us that the key to successful bonding of mating birds is to pair them up in the fall. I know that the OP''s have been, I'm just saying what the big guy does.

 

[Hannah15]

The hen is 4 this year, but she has not had a mate before. I wonder if she is perhaps a slow developer. She laid a grand total of 2 eggs last year. The male is the same age. He was penned with yearlings last year from what I understand. What concerns me the most is that they both seem to WANT to breed, just not with each other.

 

[Dany12]

Can be a problem of imprinting!

 

[Hannah15]

Can be a problem of imprinting!

That's what I'm afraid of! She was fairly tame for quite a while, even now she is okay with standing on arms (not being caught or petted though). She was squatting for me earlier this year (before she started laying both times), but not for Onyx.