I have had chickens that have never laid. We called them duds.. This is Biddy with her good friend Hawk, a log haired whippit, sunning themselves . I've been told Biddy is a duck wing. Have I got that right or is my memory failing me? She never strays from her coop and she's has yet to lay an egg. She's over a year old now. Is it possible to have a chicken that doesn't lay?
I have a Silkie hen who is approaching 5 years, and she has never laid an egg. She's been a fantastic broody, though.Since your little hen is only over a year, she could just be a little late.
Quote: They don't need to lay eggs in order to know how to raise chicks. It's instinct.
No, she went broody before I put the eggs in. Dumb little thing was sitting on nothing, since she doesn't lay eggs.
It is really funny how instinct works. The instincts tell the hen to find an enclosed place and sit there like she is sitting on eggs. Although my Buff Orpingtons and Cochins and some of my Old English did lay eggs that were all collected, they would go broody once or twice a year and sit in the nest box on no eggs. I would take the hen out despite the feather puffing and broody growls to free range with the other chickens, and ten minutes later she would be back in the nest box sitting on no eggs. Several weeks later the hen's the broody hormone surge would pass and she would be back to foraging with the rest of the flock.
That's adorable.Here is our only BBR egg that hatched on December 26th.
When he grows up he dreams of being an Extra Large
