hen turn to rooster???

[sourland]

Looks like a hen in a heavy molt. I see no rooster characteristics.

 

[Chris09]

She's a hen in a very heavy molt.

Chris

 

[tadkerson]

Quote:
In chickens the left ovary is normally the only functioning gonad in a chicken. As stated by sourland, if the left ovary develops a tumor or is damaged the ovary will stop producing an enzyme called aromatase. Aromatase is an enzyme that converts androgens (male hormone) to a female hormones (estridiol, estrogen). Without the ovary producing aromatase- the only hormones around are the androgens which cause the female to change to a male. The new testis can even produce sperm.

I had a female that stopped laying and started crowing. She died not too long after she started crowing.


Genetics 101

In male birds that have henny feathering, it is the aromatase in the skin ( not the gonads of the bird) that causes henny feathering in males. The aromatase enzyme will help change the tesosterone to estrodiol; therefore you get hen feathers.

Research indicates it is not a gene mutation that causes the expression of aromatase in male chickens. The aromatase gene is the same in a leghorn and a sebright. The real working part is a second promoter that turns on the the cells machinery that leads to the production of aromatase in the male chickens skin cells. Normally males have a promoter that turns of the machinery. It is like having a double switch one turns off the production but the second switch turns on the production of aromatase.

Tim

 

[Searsmom]

Ok, so I had a light brown leghorn hen laying nice white eggs, then she stopped. She now has a nice big comb and a respectable pair of spurs that she uses on the rooster, her crow is pitiful. She no longer lays any eggs. If this isn't sex change, I dunno what is. It happened after she'd been laying about a year. I've heard once they change, they don't go back to laying eggs. If true, I need to get rid of her. Anyone have one change back? Is there hope? She's been male about 3 months.

 

[Searsmom]

Well, for those curious, she did change back, right before she died.