Hen that displays male attributes?

[Buffbrahmabantam]

This is unrelated to your specific situation but we had a hen once (a champion layer, by the way) who crowed like a rooster.

Personally, depending on your specific goals I would give it time and see how they both develop in the same situation. It sounds like the one that laid a single egg was confined in a small area with a couple of roosters and that is different than the setting for the other bird that is known to be a hen. This may be off base since I do not know much about your particular situation. It sounds like you are breeding for the SOP and that is important to you? Isn't the SOP focused on external physical traits that can be judged in a show and not about initiation of laying or laying ability?

 

[Ted Brown]

@Buffbrahmabantam I have very little experience with the SOP but the point you make seems accurate.

However, the SOP has been in use for over a hundred years. Your last few words reflect behavioral traits that are more difficult to write down. I guess that conformance to the standard leads to those traits or it would not have had acceptance and continued use.

When I started my chicken journey I chose to use a proven design that suited my climate (Woods KD fresh air coop) rather than invent something new based on no knowledge or experience. Just a personal preference; usage of the SOP is consistent with my general approach. Note, however, that I started this thread asking for input without constraint.

 

[BDutch]

Both are hens, both 12 months old end of June, both hatched from eggs laid by my Chanteclers.

The bright red has laid only one egg (unless others got eaten but no sign of that); I know this as she was confined in a cage with two cockerels for past six months. Also, she has been alone in a segregated brooder space for about a week - no eggs.

The light pink is laying on a regular basis, probably one every 2-3 days.

If you read more about the diversity of species you find that not every animal (or human) is 100% female or 100% male.

Hermaphrodites (physical characteristics) are very special, but they do exist.
Females with physical male characteristics and vice versa are less exceptional. This goes by the name intersexual. Then there are animals that are completely female or male with sexual preferences for the same and the opposite sex as well. And many are attracted to both as well.
Intersexuality, homosexuality and bisexuality is something that occurs regularly in all kind of animals.

A well known biologist in my country Gemma Veenhuizen wrote an article about this subject
article on bnnvara.nl
Part of the article is about intersex. A google translation is in the spoiler.

Spoiler: Intersex in the animal kingdom

Just like in humans, intersex and hermaphroditism also occur in the animal kingdom. 'In the human world, it occurs more often than we think', says Veldhuizen. 'A study suggests that this occurs more often than redheads in the world. We should talk about that more.' Because intersex and hermaphroditism are often confused, Veldhuizen explains it again: 'Intersex animals have both genitals or can get them. We often think of two variations, but there are dozens of possible forms. With hermaphroditism, both male and female reproductive organs are in the body.' There are also animals that can change sex due to weather conditions or the circumstances around them. Veldhuizen: 'The clownfish can do that, for example. The one from Finding Nemo. This species lives on the edge of a reef in an anemone with a group of six to eight and there is often one large female. When it dies, the group does not go looking for a new anemone - because that brings dangers - but the largest male at that time changes into a female. The male genitals then shrivel up and the female ones come to the fore. They have been present since birth. So Nemo was probably not looking for his mother, but for his father who had become a mother. Clownfish cannot change back, but other fish species can.'