hen changing to drake

[CindyS]

I have an older call hen that is changing to a drake, I mean she is getting the male coloring, she has a curl on her tail and her voice is becoming hoarse. Obviously she has some hormone problem, has anyone ever had a hen do this? will she change back eventually or will she be a drake from now on?

 

[Mrs. Turbo]

she will be a drake now and will not be fertile.

 

[KlaHaYa Gardens]

When you say "older hen", how old? Has she laid eggs?

Yes, I believe this IS possible. I understand this can happen with chickens, when something goes wrong with one ovary, as I recall. (I will see if I can find a link.) It seems plausible this could happen to a duck.

Incidentally, I have a "hen" that crows. She does have all the appearance of a "hen", she is a Silver Campine, but she crows and now acts like a rooster, however, I have neither seen her lay an egg, nor mate with a hen. She is going on two -- actually, she has just passed two.

 

[KlaHaYa Gardens]

This addresses poultry: http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/205813.htm

If the normal left ovary of a hen is destroyed by infection, the vestigial right organ may develop as a testicle and the hen may develop male characteristics. Neoplasia in the adrenal glands or ovary that result in the production of testosterone could also cause the development of male secondary sexual characteristics (comb and wattles) in affected females.