Underdeveloped hen: cull or not?

[JustOhkay]

I got two Bielefelders a year ago.

One ended up clearly mature: good egg layer, bright red comb and wattles, active in the flock.

And the other? Well, she is stuck in the pullet process, isn’t laying, is the outcast (self-appointed because no one bothers her), is timid and scared of everything… her comb is hardly protruding. Her feathers are also .. shiny. Not all of them, just around the neck. They glisten in the sun, very different from any other hen we have.

I don’t think she will ever lay. She isn’t even social with humans. We scare her also. Is it worth it to just cull her?

Photo of her from when I took her inside to feed her snacks (eggs and oatmeal) because she wouldn’t eat with the others.

 

[nuthatched]

I would, personally.

 

[Airyaman]

She's yours. Go with what your heart tells you. We're just random Internet people with our own biased opinions.

 

[GracePoultry]

If you feel her quality of life isn't that great, then it might be the best choice.

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

Breeds like bielefelders can take a long time to fully mature. While this is a vastly different breed, I have a sebright who didn’t start laying until she was a year old, but she still lays at 5 years old now. I wouldn’t call being timid having a bad quality of life.

 

[NatJ]

Is it worth it to just cull her?

What do you mean by "cull," and what are you comparing it with? Some people use "cull" for any method of removing a bird from the flock (sell her, give her away, kill her and eat the meat, kill her and bury the body.) Some other people use "cull" for only some of those.

Personally, I would think about whether she seems to have a good quality of life, and how she does or does not contribute to your own quality of life (whether you are happier having her in the flock or not.) If she's miserable, I would either rehome her to a place where she might be happier (with careful consideration for what she needs), or kill her. If her quality of life is okay, I would decide based on whether you personally want to keep her or not.

 

[JustOhkay]

She's yours. Go with what your heart tells you. We're just random Internet people with our own biased opinions.

lol I get that. I was hoping someone would come around to say, “I experienced the same but they finally matured” or something.

Yesterday, I tried penning her with the ducklings, which still freaked her out. I’ve monitored her now and she is really getting bullied by the rooster. I bring out her own feed to get her to eat.

Will likely get a some new Australorps (a male and some females) and rehome my Ancona rooster and Ancona hen to someone who wants to breed.

The other girls aren’t scared of him like Belle is.

 

[JustOhkay]

If you feel her quality of life isn't that great, then it might be the best choice.

She’s just … never relaxed. I can’t imagine she has a great quality of life.

 

[JustOhkay]

Breeds like bielefelders can take a long time to fully mature. While this is a vastly different breed, I have a sebright who didn’t start laying until she was a year old, but she still lays at 5 years old now. I wouldn’t call being timid having a bad quality of life.

I don’t know if timid is the right word for it. Anxious and scared is more like it. She won’t even eat if someone comes too close to her. She screams (literally screams) and runs away. I don’t think that is timid.

 

[JustOhkay]

What do you mean by "cull," and what are you comparing it with? Some people use "cull" for any method of removing a bird from the flock (sell her, give her away, kill her and eat the meat, kill her and bury the body.) Some other people use "cull" for only some of those.

Personally, I would think about whether she seems to have a good quality of life, and how she does or does not contribute to your own quality of life (whether you are happier having her in the flock or not.) If she's miserable, I would either rehome her to a place where she might be happier (with careful consideration for what she needs), or kill her. If her quality of life is okay, I would decide based on whether you personally want to keep her or not.

I did mean cull as kill and eat. She seems miserable, IMO. Separating her only seems to freak her out. I would only worry if I rehomed her. She is a sweet girl but her anxiety is through the roof.