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."
Yeah I have a friend who works at a local school in the genetics area and she offered to test it. Problem with that is that she is a friend and even though I would completely believe whatever she said, apparently this has started quite a debate and to be honest I'm just looking for the most obvious straightforward answer I can get. And I've known this vet for over 25 years and he's considered at least in my area one of the best. And he's actually curious as am I and a lot of others. And I agree that maybe this is a little bit much and I'm not even sure what a veterinarian can tell me, but I would think that it would be more accurate and comprehensive than any examination that I could do. Again I'm not trying to make a big event out of this by no means, I would just like to know the truth mostly because if this is just a rooster which it could be, that means I was in that coupe in and out for about 3 weeks and didn't notice an egg and a box and believe me or not I have looked in those boxes cleaning them out and stuff. And I'm not saying I didn't miss something. And again if I did that raises a whole other set of questions for a different kind of doctor. I mean who knows I could be crazy, my mother never had me tested! Thanks everyone!
Your call of course. My point was that a vet won't be able to tell just by examining the bird. A vet would have to send for a DNA test.
Thanks for that, the information about the quails and fertilized eggs came from another member as well. So I've gotten quite the education no matter what this turns out to be having joined this site and going through this I'm sure I'm going to be much more successful and better at keeping these birds. And that's something to be thankful for! So we'll see. It's nice to have a community that likes the hobby of birds chickens ducks and all that stuff because most of my friends and all of my family think I'm a lunatic for doing it.
Well my original request to him was what I thought I had and I wanted him to be able to definitely discern that by any means. And I just figured it being an exotic animal doctor of 25 plus years he would have more options to consider than I would. Plus he's a medical professional with a very successful practice. But I totally agree with you, a physical examination of the bird wouldn't reveal any more than if I did it except that it might be done by more experienced person. So my request is simple, I want proof tangible proof that is verifiable to be authentic and accurate on the very very remote chance that this bird is what I thought it was. Again my main goal here is not hoping that it's a miracle bird, it's an hoping I'm not losing my mind!
Thanks everything helps. And every time I've tried to explain what I think I got to somebody on the phone whether it was an animal clinic or a county agricultural department or even a university it took a little careful explaining to the person that answered the phone so that they would know exactly what I was wanting, because none of them had ever heard of this.
I did a little of my own fact finding trying to get answers so I talked to the girl that I originally gave it to because something came into my mind that I had not thought of before. When I looked at any research I can find on this condition where a hen takes on the outward appearance of a rooster they always referred to it being a hen and as it grew up and became mature apparently the male part started producing hormones at maturity that produce the outward appearance of a rooster he even crows and tries to make with females and acts like a rooster. I gave her eight chicks and overall two of them turned out to be roosters well one we know one we think. I asked her when she noticed the one looking like a rooster because it was about a month or maybe a little more before she called me about the other one and both of these birds could not have been born more than two days apart. So I got to thinking about the time difference and when it showed the male feathering and traits and behavior and she said about a month or so after she had already returned the 1st rooster before that she thought it was in. And I know that's not definitive proof or anything but it is something to think about.While we’re waiting, I thought I’d mention that I have a hen that crows. She’s 6 yrs old, and started crowing this year. I’m not sure if she’s laying eggs any more, I haven’t seen her in the box lately. But she has laid lots of eggs, and raised babies. She’s a Sebright, and the males have the same feathering as the hens, so her only male trait is the crowing. But there are many stories on BYC of similar anomalies, and it’s all interesting, fascinating, certainly not something we need to prove.
Btw, @CityFarmerRob, I don’t think you don’t have to go the trouble of taking your chicken a vet, if it were me, I would just wait and see what happens. I mean, isn’t it really okay if we actually never know?
I’m glad you’ve joined BYC, and I look forward to seeing you around, whether your mystery chicken is ever identified or not.
Sue
The only way to tell without using DNA testing would be to physically look inside the bird after putting it down. They're not going to be able to tell you anything by looking externally
They might be able to tell if the bird is an active layer or not (vent and pubic bones).
