I believe I have a hermaphrodite chicken

[McChooky]

Simple enough to put a game camera on the cage and everyone could actually see it laying the egg.Cheaper than a vet visit

 

[CityFarmerRob]

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 human prankster slipped the egg in there? Or could a hen have squeezed in to lay and then left again, or laid an egg on top of the cage so the egg fell in?

All hens are locked up and the wire is hardware cloth 1/2". I even put hardware cloth over the bigger openings that you could see. Cleaned all the nesting boxes and repacking the fresh hay. So I'm watching extremely close, I'm an extremely light sleeper and the dog sleeps even lighter than me right by the open window by the chickens. So because it is such a rare thing and I haven't actually witnessed this bird dropping the egg I'm still open to any possibility. I have tried to consider everything I can think of so I'm taking the bird to a vet who specializes in chickens and they can tell me if it's even possible for this bird to have laid an egg. It's definitely one of the weirdest thing I've ever come across.

 

[McChooky]

That wire mesh has really big openings. Could a hen have squeezed in? Mine have surprised me by squeezing through small openings.

I had a wire dog crate in my coop flipped upside down with cardboard on the bottom to hold the pine shavings because its missing the tray that goes in it. Even with the door shut one of my pullets got inside by falling inside or squeezing to get in who knows!

 

[sybonbon]

And that is something that I consider, but all my coops are locked up and anybody who knows me would know that that's a good way to get shot or ripped up by a dog. And you would actually have to go into one coupe to open the door to get inside that one to get an egg into that box. And I've tried to run every scenario through my head because I know what people would think because it's what I would think this is a hoax but it sure is God made little green apples I went out there today and it was an egg in that box and that's where he's been sleeping or should I say she!

The egg was there before you put the rooster in. You didn't see it then.

 

[bill3607]

The broken egg looks too dry. If he broke that egg and even if he ate it, it would still be wet in the straw and and under it. And, it may be but it doesn't look like it in the picture.

 

[CityFarmerRob]

The broken egg looks too dry. If he broke that egg and even if he ate it, it would still be wet in the straw and and under it. And, it may be but it doesn't look like it in the picture

At this point I'm not going to discount anything because it is such a crazy notion. But I will find out one way or the other and I will let everybody know.

 

[Chicalina]

We don't want that! Too many people invested in hearing the outcome!

I do hope your vet is a proper poultry vet, because in my experience generalist vets know less about chickens than someone new to this forum learns in an hour of browsing threads.

The only real way of determining sex is to do the blood test or to process and look inside. I wouldn't want him to be sacrificed for our curiosity though.

The blood test, or a camera like I've suggested a couple of times are both cheaper and quicker than a vet (who may or may not have the requisite knowledge and might simply look at his comb and feathers) will cost.

 

[Chicalina]

Also agreeing with what others have said about this eggshell. Different colour to the first one you posted and dry as anything. No chicken can lick up all the gooey egg white from a broken egg so it's clean and dry.

Who or what put that shell there?

put a camera there if you are not winding us up, please!

 

[CityFarmerRob]

Well the soonest I could get in anywhere that would specialize in chickens is the first week of September, however they did say they put me on the cancellation list to try to speed it up. They were curious as well. So I'll just have to wait and see.

 

[KRack]

Can you put a camera in the nesting box? I feel like this would be the easiest way to see what’s happening.