Odd Girl Out *Updated with pictures*

[NHDoc]

I've got 3 hens and 1 roo. I've noticed that one hen is the "odd girl out." When I let them out to free-range, she's usually off by herself. Sometimes she doesn't go back to the coop in the evening, and I've got to get her out of her favorite tree. When I give the chickens treats, the rest go running for them and she kind of hangs back and takes the leftovers. She also is not as physically well-developed as the other hens- her crown is very minimal and very pale. Also, I know that one of the hens is a crummy layer. Do you think it is her?

Is it typical in a flock to have this kind of situation? And, most importantly, should I cull her? I'm starting to incubate eggs from these guys.

 

[bigstack]

Well I hate to say it but I persinaly would not want to propagate her genes. It could just be something simple or it could be genetic. I would not chance it. I hate culling but it is a nessecery evil.

Good Luck and God Bless!

 

[NHDoc]

Bump

 

[trilyn]

Quote:
I agree with bigstack-if you're serious about breeding, she ought to be culled. Hard, but sometimes it's very necessary.

 

[Dora'smom]

How old are your birds? Could it just be a case of slow-to-mature? I have had three birds start laying within the last two weeks. They are all the same age---almost one year, and they seemed to hang back, not maturing or socializing as much as the others. We even suspected that one of them was a closet rooster. She sure showed me! She laid an egg right in front of me within the last week, the Welsummer has just started laying within the last 4 or 5 days---a beautiful dark terra-cotta egg, and the third one--an EE--is an olive-egger. They were all late to mature, and I thought they were going to lay few and far between.

 

[NHDoc]

Dora'smom :

How old are your birds? Could it just be a case of slow-to-mature? I have had three birds start laying within the last two weeks. They are all the same age---almost one year, and they seemed to hang back, not maturing or socializing as much as the others. We even suspected that one of them was a closet rooster. She sure showed me! She laid an egg right in front of me within the last week, the Welsummer has just started laying within the last 4 or 5 days---a beautiful dark terra-cotta egg, and the third one--an EE--is an olive-egger. They were all late to mature, and I thought they were going to lay few and far between.

They're 11 months old. She has laid eggs. I'm not sure she is the lazy layer, I just suspect it based on her other behavior issues. I put in a call to the farm where I got them- they are our resident White Dorking experts. Hopefully they can help.​

 

[NHDoc]

Here are some pictures-

Here are my girls that I think are fine:

Here is the odd girl out:

Any ideas?

 

[BellaLulaFarm]

Not very experienced here, but could she just be lowest in the pecking order? I have heard that you shouldn't cull the lowest just because they're lowest, 'cause then the pecking order has to be re-established, and someone else has to be the new lowest.

 

[JennsPeeps]

She's probably the lowest in the pecking order *because* of her poor laying rate.

Whether to keep or cull depends upon your approach to raising chickens. If they're rent-paying pets, keep her. If not, cull her.