Hi everybody! I have a strange chicken and until recently, I've always thought she was a hen. I even call her Monica. Back in May 2013, I rescued Monica and 5 other hens that someone abandoned in the desert. I kept them separated from my original 3 girls for about a month or so. She was the smallest of 6 but I figured they were all 4 to 6 weeks old (probably born late Feb/early March). All was good for a couple weeks until Monica started having issues standing. I separated her from the rest and kept her in a dog crate. She would not get up, just lay all the time. I would literally have to hold her in my lap every couple of hours to feed her and give her some water. I would constantly check her over. She had a broken bone in her wing, but no broken leg bones and no joints felt out of place. After a couple weeks, she was not improving. So I started giving her electrolytes in her water and switched her from medicated chick feed to start n grow feed. Over the couple of weeks, she began to get better and eventually I reintroduced to her sisters. She is still to this day and tad bit week in the legs and feet. She rests quite often and prefers to sleep on the straw floor instead of sitting on the roosts. Her wing is healed and works fine, just sits against her kind of funny. Also when I feel her breast bone, it feels crooked, almost like an S shape, but it doesn't seem to hurt her. Also, she was at the bottom of the pecking order.
Well, this January, I bought 3 new laying hens. After their time was up being separated and I introduced them, everything happened normally. Small squabbles and such while the pecking order rearranged itself, except there was a change in Monica. She grew bolder and she now picks on the 3 newbies, especially the salmon faverolle. She never did this when I got my Australorp back in October, just these 3 girls. Her comb has actually gotten bigger and her legs are looking a little beefier (although they still look a little deformed after her issue as a baby). Compared to my other white Leghorn hens, her ears look yellow instead of white and her comb it still smaller than theirs, but its definitely getting bigger. Also, she looks to be getting saddle feathers.
Monica has NEVER laid an egg and has NEVER crowed. I'm including some pictures to help everyone out. I'm just confused about her now, considering she's about a year old now and I've got nothing from her. Any opinions would be helpful!! Thanks!
This is one of my other Leghorns, Mabel. I included it to show the difference in ear color and comb size. Mabel has the largest comb of all my hens, but I most definitely know she's a hen, I've watched her lay an egg, LOL!
Well, this January, I bought 3 new laying hens. After their time was up being separated and I introduced them, everything happened normally. Small squabbles and such while the pecking order rearranged itself, except there was a change in Monica. She grew bolder and she now picks on the 3 newbies, especially the salmon faverolle. She never did this when I got my Australorp back in October, just these 3 girls. Her comb has actually gotten bigger and her legs are looking a little beefier (although they still look a little deformed after her issue as a baby). Compared to my other white Leghorn hens, her ears look yellow instead of white and her comb it still smaller than theirs, but its definitely getting bigger. Also, she looks to be getting saddle feathers.
Monica has NEVER laid an egg and has NEVER crowed. I'm including some pictures to help everyone out. I'm just confused about her now, considering she's about a year old now and I've got nothing from her. Any opinions would be helpful!! Thanks!
This is one of my other Leghorns, Mabel. I included it to show the difference in ear color and comb size. Mabel has the largest comb of all my hens, but I most definitely know she's a hen, I've watched her lay an egg, LOL!
