Can hens turn into a rooster?

[RedBreasted]

So I have a 6 1/2 months old hen name Brownie Jr and she started laying eggs on June 26 but then she stop laying and start again. When I woke up in the morning, I heard a weird rooster crow and I know it isn't my neighbors or a someone with a farm because is only me have 3 hens. So I did some research and look at my RIR very closely and see her comb is enlarging but no news on the wattle. This morning, I heard her weird crowing again (young crowing) and now I am picking the egg and saw my RIR wattle and comb is large like a rooster now. She/he has been crowing some days but not a lot. Here is pics of her. (P.S I got not rooster but only hen)

This is my RIR hen whose only one changing.

Please help me!!!

 

[Kev]

Comb is normal, she is still young but starting to "fill out more" that is what you are seeing.

Very occasionally there will be a hen that crows or tries to sometimes. Usually these hens are in flocks with no rooster around. People like to say it's a dominance thing but then people like to throw that word around a lot so it has become almost meaningless. There even is a video elsewhere on the site of a crowing hen.

 

[torilovessmiles]

On very rare occasions, when there is no rooster, a hen may assume the role and begin to crow. It sounds similar to a young cockerel crowing. Since she has confirmed to begin laying, I'd say that's what's going on. Her comb and wattles look pretty feminine. I have hens with even bigger combs and wattles!
Back in the day, this was considered a bad omen and the crowing hen would be killed. If you're not superstitious, I think it would be pretty darn cool to have a crowing hen!

 

[RedBreasted]

It is really cool to have a crowing hen! She is the only one in the coop that can crow. I only have 3 hens and no rooster and she is the only one who did it! Thanks God for this.

 

[RedBreasted]

But I am wondering why my RIR hen lay less eggs. Suppose to be that RIR hens lay 5 a week but she only lay 2 a week. I don't know what is wrong but I think it is because of stress. Because I found one of her egg and it has white spots and I know is something wrong during calcification.

 

[HeritageGoose13]

It may be that for some reason her hormones are messed up. It is impossible for a hen to turn into a rooster (or vice-versa) but if they do not produce enough of the right hormones they can begin to act strange. It usually happens in flocks or herds of all females. It happens in dairy farms too, sometimes one of the cows will try and mount the others. With cows, this is dangerous because they will get into fights and can break legs, so a bull is usually brought in to stop it (and it does stop once the herd is exposed to a male). However I do not think your hen is hurting any of the others even if she does crow or try to mate with them. But if you ever do get a rooster, your hen would probably stop crowing. I don't know if she would lay more or not.

 

[torilovessmiles]

It may be that for some reason her hormones are messed up. It is impossible for a  hen to turn into a rooster (or vice-versa) but if they do not produce enough of the right hormones they can begin to act strange. It usually happens in flocks or herds of all females. It happens in dairy farms too, sometimes one of the cows will try and mount the others. With cows, this is dangerous because they will get into fights and can break legs, so a bull is usually brought in to stop it (and it does stop once the herd is exposed to a male). However I do not think your hen is hurting any of the others even if she does crow or try to mate with them. But if you ever do get a rooster, your hen would probably stop crowing. I don't know if she would lay more or not.

She should continue to lay if she does currently, but it's possible a hormone imbalance is involved so it may be reduced. It's so rare, it's difficult to tell.
I have heard of a disorder where a hen turns into a "rooster" due to a damaged ovary. She can crow, grows saddle, hackle, and sickle feathers, but is infertile. This is extremely rare, even rarer than a plain ole crowing hen. Yours looks like a hen and is laying so
don't think this is likely! Haha

 

[RedBreasted]

Here is a sad story. Last June I got 2 chicks, 1 RIR rooster and 1 Brown Leghorn hen. They Brown Leghorn grow up good but the rooster have to be butcher because a neighbor complain that it is getting loud. So that was really sad that my rooster have to be butcher. (I made a grave for him)

 

[Weehopper]

A hen will also sometimes crow when she is healthy and feeling real good.

 

[RedBreasted]

Going back to this thread. It wasn't my RIR crowing. It was my Brown Leghorn hen crowing that I witness today after 2 years. She was flapping her wings and crowing.