I believe I have a hermaphrodite chicken

[BuckarooBonzai]

I've been keeping birds for almost 2 years which is not a long time but I incubated some eggs to see what would happen what long story short I gave several chickens and I believed by texting them when they were young around 5 weeks 6 weeks that they were female and these had been pulled from a lot earlier that I had tried to sex which we all know is difficult. Well the bird was returned to me because it turned out to be a rooster and so I put it by itself and that's where it's been for the last two weeks well this morning the old nesting box it decided to perch in and poop in had an egg in it and even though there's hens around the coop and in other areas there is not one able to get in there he has been absolutely alone. I know it's rare they say about 1 in 10,000 and it's much more likely to be looked at as a hoax than an actuality but I walked out today and that's what I found.View attachment 3619160

I know some can’t wrap their heads around it but it happens a lot in nature in all kinds of species. Look up hens that don’t lay turning into roosters… I had a RIR, “female” for all outward appearances, very vocal, crankier than you know what & never laid an egg. I’d say I had her for a couple yrs when one day I noticed she’d grown a full blown spur on one leg & the beginnings of another on the other. Confused I looked it up & that’s how I learned they can change sexes based on their hormone levels. Explained a lot about her personality. Unfortunately a fox took her. On a side note, we had an intact female family dog that in all behaviors behaved like a male. I think it happens more often than sometimes realized. That’s really fascinating about your rooster!! Pretty bird!

 

[CityFarmerRob]

Okay give me a second and I'll send you that.

Okay, the author of the paper is Dr Jacquie Jacob, University of Kentucky. This is an extension of OSU, THE Ohio State University. Let me know if you have any trouble finding it after this.

 

[CityFarmerRob]

I know some can’t wrap their heads around it but it happens a lot in nature in all kinds of species. Look up hens that don’t lay turning into roosters… I had a RIR, “female” for all outward appearances, very vocal, crankier than you know what & never laid an egg. I’d say I had her for a couple yrs when one day I noticed she’d grown a full blown spur on one leg & the beginnings of another on the other. Confused I looked it up & that’s how I learned they can change sexes based on their hormone levels. Explained a lot about her personality. Unfortunately a fox took her. On a side note, we had an intact female family dog that in all behaviors behaved like a male. I think it happens more often than sometimes realized. That’s really fascinating about your rooster!! Pretty bird!

Thank you! I never ever wanted anybody to blindly agree with me. But your experience and story only adds validity to the fact that this happens. And if anyone out there is hung up on the fact or idea that this is about a specific bird named Vic I hate to break it to you, it's not. The only thing that can erase a false truth in someone's mind is the evidence that they are wrong. And again and again and again, this is not about my rooster that I believe is a sex reversal bird or anything like that. I believe the focus should be on the fact that this does happen and can happen and instead of throwing a blind eye to it, let's question what we think we know to find out if it is actually true! And if that does not interest anyone, then again you have our pity and our sympathy.

 

[CityFarmerRob]

Thank you! I never ever wanted anybody to blindly agree with me. But your experience and story only adds validity to the fact that this happens. And if anyone out there is hung up on the fact or idea that this is about a specific bird named Vic I hate to break it to you, it's not. The only thing that can erase a false truth in someone's mind is the evidence that they are wrong. And again and again and again, this is not about my rooster that I believe is a sex reversal bird or anything like that. I believe the focus should be on the fact that this does happen and can happen and instead of throwing a blind eye to it, let's question what we think we know to find out if it is actually true! And if that does not interest anyone, then again you have our pity and our sympathy.

Not everybody can look at what is considered to be the truth without testing it to be true. Doesn't make us right or wrong, just makes us who we are. So to each, I hope they find their own truth, because I have found mine. And it was never based on anyones opinion or idea but my own! And I am at peace with that.

 

[saysfaa]

Okay, the author of the paper is Dr Jacquie Jacob, University of Kentucky. This is an extension of OSU, THE Ohio State University. Let me know if you have any trouble finding it after this.

This?

Same paper, different method of linking it..
https://mysrf.org/pdf/pdf_poultry/p11.pdf

 

[CityFarmerRob]

This?

Same paper, different method of linking it..
https://mysrf.org/pdf/pdf_poultry/p11.pdf

Okay no doubts there. But the important thing here I believe is the validity of the paper. Which is not some opinion from somebody on the internet, but a professional study by a professional in his field. And if anybody out there wants to doubt that, then please take it to the author and not take it out on the messenger.

I'm on the thread"I think I have a hermaphrodite bird" what thread are you on?

That's it, what do you have to say partner?

 

[CityFarmerRob]

Okay no doubts there. But the important thing here I believe is the validity of the paper. Which is not some opinion from somebody on the internet, but a professional study by a professional in his field. And if anybody out there wants to doubt that, then please take it to the author and not take it out on the messenger.

That's it, what do you have to say partner?

So there's no confusion, I'm the one who has a bird named Vic. If this is the correct thread, then let there be no mistake on identity. I am interested in whatever you have to say, so lay it on me bro!?!

 

[saysfaa]

It is interesting.

It says, "In general, spontaneous sex reversal has been described as the result of pathological conditions (eg. ovarian cyst or tumor, diseases adrenal glands) which case the left ovary to regress. Residual tissue in the right ovary proliferates in the absence of a functional left ovary. This regenerated right gonad is known as an ovotestis and may contain tissue characteristics of the ovary, the tested, or both. There are reports of the ovotestes producing semen capable of fathering offspring. Most, however, will never lay an egg or sire offspring."

It looks like any possibility of an egg or semen from a sex reversed chicken has to be from a hen to rooster change. Agreed?

And, yes, I agree it is a valid source.

 

[CityFarmerRob]

It is interesting.

It says, "In general, spontaneous sex reversal has been described as the result of pathological conditions (eg. ovarian cyst or tumor, diseases adrenal glands) which case the left ovary to regress. Residual tissue in the right ovary proliferates in the absence of a functional left ovary. This regenerated right gonad is known as an ovotestis and may contain tissue characteristics of the ovary, the tested, or both. There are reports of the ovotestes producing semen capable of fathering offspring. Most, however, will never lay an egg or sire offspring."

It looks like any possibility of an egg or semen from a sex reversed chicken has to be from a hen to rooster change. Agreed?

And, yes, I agree it is a valid source.

Well I can't disagree simply because I don't understand it as deep as most of you do. Please forgive my ignorance, I am an intelligent person but when it comes to something I have very little experience with I tend to ask a lot of questions which I guess sometimes makes me look stupid. All I can say is this, what you have said is both insightful and accurate, the one thing that I saw in the literature and from reports was this, if this "sex reversal" happens, it's always been recorded as starting out as a hen that took on the characteristics of a rooster. I couldn't find anything to support that a rooster would turn into a hen. But again please, I'm an enthusiast not an expert! Any and all input that could positively contribute to this idea or question would be greatly appreciated! And I guess if you just want to gripe or shout your opinion - go ahead, we'll listen to it anyway.

 

[saysfaa]

I found male to female but not naturally. Scientists were trying to learn what controls sexual development in eggs. By injecting some things and/or snipping out the genes that control the production of other things, they did get both genetic females to develop as males and genetic males to develop as females.

It is reported on here:
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(9), 8284; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24098284
Received: 27 March 2023 / Revised: 28 April 2023 / Accepted: 29 April 2023 / Published: 5 May 2023
Xiuan Zhang is an author

The abstract (red added by me):
"Sex determination and differentiation are processes by which a bipotential gonad adopts either a testicular or ovarian cell fate, and secondary sexual characteristics adopt either male or female developmental patterns. In birds, although genetic factors control the sex determination program, sex differentiation is sensitive to hormones, which can induce sex reversal when disturbed. Although these sex-reversed birds can form phenotypes opposite to their genotypes, none can experience complete sex reversal or produce offspring under natural conditions. Promising evidence indicates that the incomplete sex reversal is associated with cell autonomous sex identity (CASI) of avian cells, which is controlled by genetic factors. However, studies cannot clearly describe the regulatory mechanism of avian CASI and sex development at present, and these factors require further exploration. In spite of this, the abundant findings of avian sex research have provided theoretical bases for the progress of gender control technologies, which are being improved through interdisciplinary co-operation and will ultimately be employed in poultry production. In this review, we provide an overview of avian sex determination and differentiation and comprehensively summarize the research progress on sex reversal in birds, especially chickens. Importantly, we describe key issues faced by applying gender control systems in poultry production and chronologically summarize the development of avian sex control methods. In conclusion, this review provides unique perspectives for avian sex studies and helps scientists develop more advanced systems for sex regulation in birds."

I found the details in the rest of the article very interesting. It does get a bit dense and jargony, though. I've had enough anatomy and physiology classes and maybe poked around in peer reviewed publications to follow most of it but had to look up some vocabulary and concepts.

I do not think this contradicts Dr Jacquie Jacob's statements. She wrote that viable sperm has been reported to be found. She didn't say much about the circumstances. It could have been found by surgically removing the sperm from the ovotestes, possibly after the death of the chicken.