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  1. NatJ

    I believe I have a hermaphrodite chicken

    The scientifically documented cases of "sex reversal" have generally been option A of your list, except that they not only behave like a rooster, they look like a rooster too. Sometimes they go back to laying eggs (typical hen behavior) while still looking like a rooster. Someone recently...
  2. NatJ

    I believe I have a hermaphrodite chicken

    Except that the point about the barring proves Vic never was a hen. The father had no barring. He has two Z sex chromosomes, and neither one of them has barring on it. So he could not give barring to Vic. The mother had barring. So she has a Z chromosome with barring, and a W chromsome that...
  3. NatJ

    I believe I have a hermaphrodite chicken

    OK, that tells me it's not a plant I have personal experience with, which is what I was most curious about :)
  4. NatJ

    I believe I have a hermaphrodite chicken

    What plant was that? One of the first things I learned about plant reproduction is that some plants do things very differently than others. Some have both male & female parts in each flower, and expect to pollinate themselves (peas & tomatoes). Some have male & female parts in each flower, but...
  5. NatJ

    I believe I have a hermaphrodite chicken

    For the chicken photos you posted just before that comment, I am pretty sure he has a rose comb. Walnut is genetically rose comb and pea comb, and usually looks a bit different. But it is quite possible for a chicken with walnut comb to produce a chick with rose comb, by just passing on the...
  6. NatJ

    I believe I have a hermaphrodite chicken

    No chicken lives forever. Whenever this one does die, you might try dissection then, as a way to finally settle the matter.
  7. NatJ

    I believe I have a hermaphrodite chicken

    I don't have any trouble believing it. It's surprising how many things can be unknown by people, even intelligent people who are otherwise well educated, and who even have some experience with chickens. Just for an example, there are many people who don't know that in chickens the mother...
  8. NatJ

    I believe I have a hermaphrodite chicken

    I'm guessing it is a little too soon: So maybe later today we will hear something new?
  9. NatJ

    I believe I have a hermaphrodite chicken

    For that chicken, no genetic testing while the bird was alive: After the bird was dead, they did a necropsy but I do not see any mention of genetic testing.
  10. NatJ

    I believe I have a hermaphrodite chicken

    I have never heard of a bird that had both ovaries and testes be functional. (I can't say whether any existed, just that I never heard of them.) But I have read of at least chicken that had non-functional versions of both...
  11. NatJ

    I believe I have a hermaphrodite chicken

    They might be able to tell if the bird is an active layer or not (vent and pubic bones). Other than that, I agree.
  12. NatJ

    I believe I have a hermaphrodite chicken

    I have not heard of self-fertilized eggs, but unfertilized eggs sometimes can develop. If you want to search and read about it, try using the term "parthenogenesis." Here is an article that talks a bit about the subject, and mentions research that was done some years ago...
  13. NatJ

    I believe I have a hermaphrodite chicken

    I think the vent would accurately tell whether the bird has been laying eggs. That would not tell the underlying gender of the bird, just whether it has been actually laying. The vent certainly does tell that in female chickens (broody vs. layer have vents that look different. The vent goes...
  14. NatJ

    I believe I have a hermaphrodite chicken

    Vent sexing does not work on adult chickens anyway. But if you look at the vent-- just literally spread the feathers and look-- you can generally tell a layer from a non-layer. To see the difference, look at some hens that you know are laying (vent should be relatively large, and look moist and...
  15. NatJ

    I believe I have a hermaphrodite chicken

    I agree that OP's bird LOOKS like a rooster. Whether it is a (very rare) hen that lays eggs while looking like a rooster, or a (less rare) case of a prank, I can't say for sure. But it is possible-- and scientifically documented-- for a chicken to externally appear as a rooster but actually be...
  16. NatJ

    I believe I have a hermaphrodite chicken

    No-one else living in the same household? (Siblings, children, parents, housemates.) Yes, it does sound like you considered the options pretty carefully :)
  17. NatJ

    I believe I have a hermaphrodite chicken

    If it actually lays eggs I would call it a hen, even though it certainly LOOKS like a male. I've read of a few such chickens, but not very many, so it's neat to hear about another one! Considering how unusual this is, are you sure there is no other explanation for the egg? Any chance that some...
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