Infertile hen?

[Lynn725]

Miss Kay, my Columbian Rock is laying eggs just as good as she ever has (since I brought her home with me, anyways) and I've hatched some beautiful chicks from her & my Barred Rock, Worthless.
Now, even though she's still in with Worthless, (never been removed from him) and I've SEEN him do his manly duty with her regularly, her eggs have been infertile for a solid month. I know Worthless is still fertile, the other hens I have with him are laying wonderfully fertile eggs and are still giving me chicks.
So my question is: Can a hen's fertility affect the fertility of her eggs, even when she has been bred to a (very) fertile rooster? Is it possible to have an infertile hen? She lays almost everyday, without fail, and her eggs are a beautiful brown.
Any help would be MUCH appreciated, I'm very worried about Miss Kay. She's one of my sweetest, most favorite hens that I've ever had the pleasure of loving. She's probably the ONLY hen on my little farm that I refuse to eat, other than my banties. With me, that's true love right there. So please, anyone, help? I just want to know she's ok.

 

[sumi]

She may be expelling the rooster's sperm after mating (I have seen a hen do that). Otherwise the sperm may not be reaching her cloaca, due to her bum being overly fluffy, making it impossible for the roo to reach the correct spot. Trim the feathers around her vent and see if that helps?

 

[Lynn725]

Thank you Sumi! I'm going to try that. She's so beautifully natured and her mate is, as well. It would be a shame to get no more than a handful of their offspring this year. I plan to stop setting eggs around the first of July so the chicks can get all the feathers they need before we get cooler weather and it becomes hard on them to stay warm. I sure do hope I can get some more fertile eggs from her by then.