That hen turning into a drake is so strange! Can they do that ( my biology and biochem background says NO!) but I have a Mandarin (almost a year old) who never feathered out like a male, but has the redder bill like his brothers, and faint coppery colored feathers where the sails would be...white and grayish brown feathers elsewhere- spots like the females...so strange. I only have 1 female (that I'm sure of) and 4 others who I've been thinking are all males. Someone told me he's the lowest male so maybe won't feather out like a normal drake would. I'll try to get a pic in a bit...I'm so stumped (but there isn't any egg laying from it either unless it's egg dumping in my setting hen's nestbox...)
Anyone know if females can feather like a drake and males feather out like a female?
lucky lady who has 1 very patient hubby, 5 kids ages 15-28, 1 dog (+ a new puppy!!!!) 5 cats, 6 Mandarins, 4 Khaki Campbell ducks, 4 Sebastopol Geese (& 6 of their babies so far- all 6 sold), and about 30 chickens (mostly BCM, with a few others...and new chicks )
lucky lady who has 1 very patient hubby, 5 kids ages 15-28, 1 dog (+ a new puppy!!!!) 5 cats, 6 Mandarins, 4 Khaki Campbell ducks, 4 Sebastopol Geese (& 6 of their babies so far- all 6 sold), and about 30 chickens (mostly BCM, with a few others...and new chicks )
