Hen turning into a rooster?

[SurferchickinSB]

I was just wondering how many people out there have had their hens start to have rooster characteristics? Does anybody know why this happens? I have a lavender Orpington that is a little over two years old and she has grown spurs that are about 2 inches long and getting longer. I also have a black copper Marans that just started going through molt in mid January and instead of being black with a copper collar, she now has a copper colored head and neck, copper and red colored feathers on her back and she has grown long green tinged tail feathers. Her feathers are still filling in, but much more colorful and longer looking. I feed them organic layer, so just wondering if anybody out there has had this happen or knows what is going on?

 

[Little Chicken Girl]

Yep! I had a hen that grew huge spurs and even crowed every morning. It happened shortly after my rooster passed away and she assumed the dominant role. She was a character!

 

[Ella2710]

Hens get rooster characteristics, and even start crowing when there isn't a dominant male in the flock...so the hen at the top of the pecking order will take that role

 

[Bert96746]

I have a hen (maybe 2) that have grown spurs recently and one started trying to crow lol. From my understanding, when there isn't a rooster in the mix the alpha hen will sometimes take on rooster characteristics to defend the flock. They sometimes even stop laying. It's some weird hormonal thing. I believe my alpha hen started crowing and acting tough was because I took them out of their free ranged environment and fenced her flock in with the ducks and it stressed her out. She still lays and doesn't crow anymore but I'm assuming stress can cause it to happen as well.
Also, hens can grow spurs regardless.

 

[SurferchickinSB]

Yep! I had a hen that grew huge spurs and even crowed every morning. It happened shortly after my rooster passed away and she assumed the dominant role. She was a character!

Oh, hopefully mine doesn’t start to crow, she is very quiet and follows me around saying ahun, she watches everything I do and agrees with it, lol!

 

[SurferchickinSB]

I have a hen (maybe 2) that have grown spurs recently and one started trying to crow lol. From my understanding, when there isn't a rooster in the mix the alpha hen will sometimes take on rooster characteristics to defend the flock. They sometimes even stop laying. It's some weird hormonal thing. I believe my alpha hen started crowing and acting tough was because I took them out of their free ranged environment and fenced her flock in with the ducks and it stressed her out. She still lays and doesn't crow anymore but I'm assuming stress can cause it to happen as well.
Also, hens can grow spurs regardless.

Thank you for your reply. The hen that has the spurs is the dominant one I suppose since she’s always last to go in the coop in the evening, but the one starting to look roo ish is really low in pecking order. She maybe elevated herself 2 rungs last year when I gave her two babies to raise, LOL!

 

[SurferchickinSB]

Hens get rooster characteristics, and even start crowing when there isn't a dominant male in the flock...so the hen at the top of the pecking order will take that role

Oh, good to know that it’s nothing that they are eating. I thought maybe I was giving them some thing that was changing their hormones.