Hormonal feminization of a cockerel

[deedletree]

Hey folks,

Last week I started treating my cockerel with estradiol, in hope of arresting his sexual development. I live in an area that doesn't allow roosters, so if he crows he goes.

Does anyone out there have any experience with this? I'm dying to see if it will work.

 

[FireTigeris]

you could also capsonize him (neuter)

Birds are genetically male unless an ovary is present. Not sure how this will go for you- good luck.

Also know some girls can crow also, but not many ever do.

 

[deedletree]

I looked into surgical caponization. I'm not willing to use the old method on a pet, and a veterinary procedure would have been costly, risky and not guaranteed to work.

This is also a gamble, of course, but I have invested less, so I'm willing to risk it not working.

 

[FireTigeris]

well let us know if it works it might help other people.

 

[Beekissed]

You're giving your rooster a chemically induced sex change???

Didn't they have any hens where you got your chickens?

This ought to be interesting.....

 

[deedletree]

To be honest, I'm doing it as much to satisfy my own curiosity as anything else. The little dude in question isn't exceptional in any way. He's a mixed breed and he's kind of skittish.

If I have coop space and feed for my banties, I have room to feed one transexual boy.

 

[FireTigeris]

Please keep us updated, pictures too-

I have a nice tempered standard roo-

what dose are you using per pound of bird?

How are you administering it?

 

[Mike Winters]

might be hard a birds default sex is male

 

[deedletree]

The reason I have for believing this *might* work comes from a Masters thesis written in Taiwan, in Chinese. It describes the behavioral differences between normal cockerels, normal pullets, and cockerels treated with a single dose of estradiol, either inside the shell or just ter hatching. The estradiol blocked all male development, so that they were capons.

My guy is three months old, so not fully mature, but far more developed than described in the thesis.

To try this, you would need to get the hormone from a vet and be willing to give intramuscular injections every other week. The dosage is scaled down from the ones used by human transexuals.

 

[SkyeSchazade]

IMO - I would not think it "worthwhile" to go though, and put the bird through regular injections of a hormone chemical to alter his natural body process. I hope that you are never planning on eating (or let some else eat) him, as this hormone has been labled as a suspected carcinogens when used in food producing animals. I think this seems more an ethical issue. Could vs. Should? Honestly if he is not all that exceptional or well tempered why even keep him?