Hen sex change..

[Matt1502]

I have had a leghorn hen since around 4 weeks old, "she" is now around 18 weeks. I had her from a breeder I've purchased from in the past and one I trust.
Up until recently I had no reason to question it as she looked and acted like a hen until she started crowing(comb and wattles have gotten bigger but nowhere near what a leghorn rooster would be) . Im aware that sometimes this can happen as top hen(which she definitely is in her flock) but I've also heard of cases where they have a damaged ovary and can go through through what seems is a sex change.
My question is, has anyone else experienced this? And if it isn't the latter of the sex change will it impact egg production. And what's the best cause of action to stop the behaviour?

 

[Painted Calls]

Not a Leghorn, not a pullet. Mixed breed cockerel.

 

[JedJackson]

It's a cockerel, and not a pure Leghorn. It has a pea comb which is not right for Leghorns.

 

[Frazzemrat1]

Agreed... that's a cockerel, and he's not exactly a leghorn... he might have some leghorn blood in there, but he's not 100%

 

[TheOddOneOut]

I have had a leghorn hen since around 4 weeks old, "she" is now around 18 weeks. I had her from a breeder I've purchased from in the past and one I trust.
Up until recently I had no reason to question it as she looked and acted like a hen until she started crowing(comb and wattles have gotten bigger but nowhere near what a leghorn rooster would be) . Im aware that sometimes this can happen as top hen(which she definitely is in her flock) but I've also heard of cases where they have a damaged ovary and can go through through what seems is a sex change.
My question is, has anyone else experienced this? And if it isn't the latter of the sex change will it impact egg production. And what's the best cause of action to stop the behaviour?

It is not a leghorn, and was NEVER a hen.

 

[Frazzemrat1]

It is possible, but very unlikely and I highly doubt it.

At this age? absolutely not... this has always been a male.

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

It doesn’t look to have a pea comb but definitely not single either. It looks like folded or something? And shorter than normal. But not full pea either. Perhaps Leghorn mix with something with either a pea or a rose? I’ve had EE mixes with similar combs resulting from a single combed parent.

Probably a modified pea comb aka a heterozygous pea comb. That means he has one pea comb gene and one single comb gene.

 

[duluthralphie]

It could be a leghorn hen that self identifies as a rooster and had comb reassignment surgery.

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

Leghorn mix cockerel

 

[K0k0shka]

Look at those saddle feathers. This has never been a hen.