hermaphroduck

[g&a thomas]

Okay, this is going to sound a bit weird, but can a duck be a true hermaphrodite?

I am new to the forum, but have been reading on here for a while, but I dont' recall reading anything like this.

Anyway ... last year we got four chocolate runner ducks. the males were tearing up our hens (one in particular) so we slowing culled out the two that we had thinking we had two females left. we were getting two eggs a day so no worries we had two females left. When one of the two starting to show dominant behavior, we didn't think anything about it because one will be in charge right and can take ont he role of the males. Now the lead duck is mounting the other and calling her to food and attacking the hens. We have seen it do the duck dance and yes there has even been sightings of the willie. We are still getting two eggs though and they are different looking enough that they are coming from two different ducks. Strangely the hermaproduck is laying the larger egg.

So, if it is true and I have no reason to doubt it ... here are the odds stacked up on these guys ...

1. these were the last four runners at the feed store
2. two males (proven at slaughter), one female, and one hermaphroduck.

Crazy, I know.

glen

 

[nop169]

Glen,
Although the odds in your case are startling - it is not too awful uncommon to find a hermph duck. I also have one - call duck - hatched on the farm & lays regularly but also "breeds" her half sisters & mom while fighting to keep the males away. I finally seperated them and left hermph alone with a male. She actually set this year - but of course all of her eggs have always been infertile. Whether that will change or not I do not know although I do not think they will ever be fertile. In most animals hermph are sterile... but we will see! So if your hermph acts like ours does - enjoy the eggs at breakfast & enjoy the spectacle of her/his behavior!

 

[g&a thomas]

thanks for the input. We have been talking about the odd behavior of this duck for a while. At first we thought it was just a pecking order thing because every time we took a male away another stepped up and took on his role. So when this female started acting like the drake we just assumed it was a structure thing until we saw the evidence of both sexes. It is a bit odd, but funny at the same time. Thanks for letting me know it isn't that uncommon in the duck world ... at least we know it isn't just us.

 

[rainy day ducks]

I have a Cayuga female who lays and also behaves like a male to the other Cayuga female. She doesn't go near the other females or drake. She doesn't lay as much as the other Cayuga and it took her awhile to start.

In Dave Holderread's book, he talks of having a pet duck named Tina when he was a boy. Tina stopped laying one year and the next year she molted into a drake! So, I guess it happens!

 

[Judy]

g&a, you might be interested in this thread:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=400424

Do your bird's left and eight sides look different, that you can tell?

 

[g&a thomas]

Quote:
ddawn, thanks for the link to the study. that was really interesting. Our duck doesn't look different on either side, so unfortunately not in the same category.

The only thing that we noticed on this duck is that the eggs although larger in size than the female ducks have thinner shells. Many of the eggs are double yolked as well. Other than chasing the hens around and mounting them there isn't anything else that is noteworthy.