I have a cross hen, Pumpkin, that is almost a year old and NO eggs,Nothing, NADA, zip, zan!
Is it possible for a hen to be sterile?
Our silly Japanese roo had tried mounding on her and such, she's just a bit too big for him.....that's all...hahahh
Pumpkin sits in the nest where the other hens lay, but had never laid a single egg in her life. I am just confused. Anybody have any ideas?
here is some of Pumpkin's background:
Pumpkin was the last chick who hatched in may with 4 others. Another unknown breed we had thought would be a hen. Here was little pumpkin: when pumpkin was hatched by our black astralorps, we had two hens who had gone broody, and would try to steal the eggs from each other. once pumpkin hatched, the other broody hen came to see her, and the hatching mom pecked her head on both sides, on her ears, attempting to kill her so the other mom could not take her. we instantly took pumpkin in to out little 'icu' brooder, and fed her propel (the same as eggy) to give her strength to live. we tried cleaning her wounds, and putting Neosporin on them. Once we went to tend to eggy, we had realized little pumpkin had died. We sat her on the outside of the brooder In a little tray, and began to rub its little breast bone; up and down, up and down. suddenly, little pumpkin sputtered to life! At those very minutes, two people had witnessed pumpkin die, and within 5 minutes come back to life by a little rubbing CPR. After pumpkin was about two months old, her ear wounds were healed, but she began to develop a lump, which was her deformed ear because of the pecking. her lumps grew outside her head, one bulge being bigger than the other. she is sensitive when you touch it, but it is soft if you do. We do think pumpkin is deaf, and she does get picked on by eggy, but she seems to be just as strong as the other chickens, and is very dominant!!! That is our story of little pumpkin, who died and came back!!!
Could pumpkin be sterile because if what happened to her, or could it be because she is a cross hen? she looks to be a RIR Americana cross, and is REALLY heavy! she is about silkie rooster sized.....not bantam, but not standard either.
Despite not laying, she is a great hen! Even if she never lays I wouldn't be upset or get rid of her! Pumpkin is just too sweet!
Pumpkin's hatch mates, Ed (tan hen) and marshie (splash silkie) began laying just last year. Ed started in November, and Marshie started in December.....Pumpkin may just be a late bloomer, but almost one year old this really concerns me...
~Bantambury
Is it possible for a hen to be sterile?
Our silly Japanese roo had tried mounding on her and such, she's just a bit too big for him.....that's all...hahahh
Pumpkin sits in the nest where the other hens lay, but had never laid a single egg in her life. I am just confused. Anybody have any ideas?
here is some of Pumpkin's background:
Pumpkin was the last chick who hatched in may with 4 others. Another unknown breed we had thought would be a hen. Here was little pumpkin: when pumpkin was hatched by our black astralorps, we had two hens who had gone broody, and would try to steal the eggs from each other. once pumpkin hatched, the other broody hen came to see her, and the hatching mom pecked her head on both sides, on her ears, attempting to kill her so the other mom could not take her. we instantly took pumpkin in to out little 'icu' brooder, and fed her propel (the same as eggy) to give her strength to live. we tried cleaning her wounds, and putting Neosporin on them. Once we went to tend to eggy, we had realized little pumpkin had died. We sat her on the outside of the brooder In a little tray, and began to rub its little breast bone; up and down, up and down. suddenly, little pumpkin sputtered to life! At those very minutes, two people had witnessed pumpkin die, and within 5 minutes come back to life by a little rubbing CPR. After pumpkin was about two months old, her ear wounds were healed, but she began to develop a lump, which was her deformed ear because of the pecking. her lumps grew outside her head, one bulge being bigger than the other. she is sensitive when you touch it, but it is soft if you do. We do think pumpkin is deaf, and she does get picked on by eggy, but she seems to be just as strong as the other chickens, and is very dominant!!! That is our story of little pumpkin, who died and came back!!!
Could pumpkin be sterile because if what happened to her, or could it be because she is a cross hen? she looks to be a RIR Americana cross, and is REALLY heavy! she is about silkie rooster sized.....not bantam, but not standard either.
Despite not laying, she is a great hen! Even if she never lays I wouldn't be upset or get rid of her! Pumpkin is just too sweet!
Pumpkin's hatch mates, Ed (tan hen) and marshie (splash silkie) began laying just last year. Ed started in November, and Marshie started in December.....Pumpkin may just be a late bloomer, but almost one year old this really concerns me...
~Bantambury
