Chicken experts!!! Crazy question--could this really be happening?

[miss_thenorth]

I am posting this for a friend who has two silkie/brahma mix rooster brothers (as well as other chickens. These two are brothers and lately they have been fighting, so my friend has been separating them. One is being put in a "nursery".. There is no way POSSIBLE for any other chicken to get in there. One day she noticed an egg under whre the 'rooster' sits at night. Puzzled, she thought not much more about it until the next day----there was another egg there. This 'rooster'crows, and everything.

Is it possible???????? She swears there is no way on earth another chicken can get in there. She has only told me, b/c she thinks others will think she has gone off the deep end.

So me, keeping her identity secret, and me not caring if you think I'M crazy

, I am posing this question to you.

Is this possible, or is she crazy? She really needs answers.

(and no, it's NOT me, I only have one rooster, and he's definitely a guy

 

[Chirpy]

Well, I'm certainly no expert (so I don't know why I clicked on this thread

) but I'd have to seriously ask if it's really a hen. I have heard people say their hens seemed to crow.

 

[bugladyleah]

I have heard of this happening before, especially if there are no "real" roosters present. The dominant hen will take on the role of the roo and will even crow, etc. I don't think it is a common everyday thing, and it is probably breed dependant, but it is possible, from what I understand. My neighbor (who thinks he is a chicken expert...lol) came over one day and was telling me this big story about how he had a "hermaphroditic" bird b/c it laid eggs and crowed. I didn't even try to explain it to him...not worth the effort....but I am pretty sure this is what was happening at his place, too. I think there was also an article a/b this in Backyard Poultry within the last year or so....I can't remember which issue, tho. Hope this helps...

Leah

 

[miss_thenorth]

this rooster is 4 years old if not more, lokks identical to his rooster brother, and also shares the backyard with three other roosters, plus alot of hens. We are baffled. I know that some hens take on the rooster role if no other roos are present, but there are. and have bee for countless years. (s)he h firend as never laid an egg before and he has become a daddy many times over. Is hermaphroditic too far fetched? my friend is really wierded out!

 

[seriousbill]

There are hermaphrodite chickens.

Hen Puzzles Many By Becoming A Rooster
April 19, 2006

A British hen named Freaky has left many confounded after turning into a male rooster.

She was born over a year ago as a special breed Silver Laced Wyandotte hen. However, after laying dozens of eggs, Freaky started developing masculine characteristics.

A distinctive red comb appeared on her head and her behavior became more aggressive. Now she crows and has grown rooster feathers to lure other hens.

Freaky's owner, Jo Richards, a smallholder from Saltford, near Bristol, says, "It's so funny. One morning, out of the blue, she just started crowing."

However, although Freaky now looks like a male rooster, he is not capable of becoming a father.

A hen-to-rooster change in sex is caused by soaring testosterone levels and is approximated to be a one in 10,000 rarity.

http://www.wayodd.com/hen-puzzles-many-by-becoming-a-rooster/v/2531/

Not exactly the most reputable source, but it's probably on the level. I've read about similar cases but can't find one right offhand.​

 

[SpottedCrow]

My Brahma, Slifer was a true hermaphrodite...she crowed, grew humungous spurs, and looked like a roo. But I put her on female hormones and she laid me a baby yellow egg.
So it is possible.

 

[Guitartists]

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/PS050

 

[jemagsy]

We have a crowing hen, she doesn't have any other obvious male characteristics though and has even laid eggs before.

She started crowing about 2 or 3 weeks after the other hen she pal'd around with died and we got the new babies.

 

[tiffanyh]

Can you post some pictures...so...it is possible this "hen" has been laying eggs for all the years she has had "her", right? Since it has been in with the others?

 

[miss_thenorth]

Quote:
My firends computer is down right now, but I will see if I can get some pics of this roo-hen.. I also just called her to find out more info, but left a message--she will cal me back later tonight