How did my hen manage to hatch her eggs?

[Silky45]

All I can do is quote the great Jeff Goldblum from Jurassic Park ( Life finds a way )

 

[Old mother hen]

Hmm, this is so interesting I have never heard of that length in time, but I’ve recently come to learn some hens can sex change

 

[philipl411]

Is the hen allowed to be in the open?

 

[Chapel Oak Farms]

The other chicken is definitely a hen and no we dont have neighbours with chickens. These are the only two hens we have and the brown goldish hen (Amercauna?) is the one who hatched these two chicks
View attachment 2387271

Maybe set up some videos around outside to see if it happens again... but congrats on the chicks!

 

[CackleBabies]

I just read in an article on this site that chickens can (rarely do) mate with guinea fowl. I also saw a video of a poultry rescue in the UK that takes battery hens and they took in a rooster from the production farm because the roo looked and behaved like a hen but never laid an egg. The video was very informative. I’ll see if I can find it.

 

[nchls school]

I've read the first two pages of your thread so perhaps someone else has posted this: Do you have any other chicken-like birds where a cross is possible?

 

[JadeFarms]

Still waiting on the answer as to why let the chicken sit on unfertilized eggs for 21 days? Even a hidden nest requires the chicken to sit on them. If you only have 2 birds then how would you not notice? This is a prank. But...a good one

I agree, if she thought they were unfertile why would she allow her to sit on them.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Actually, there was a study and the hens that change to roosters fertilized hens, and those fertilized eggs hatched. I'll try and find the article.

I've always heard the opposite.

 

[Cobra96]

The first couple months that you had her was she laying eggs? When I gave my MIL some chickens it took them 3 months to start laying eggs again. Maybe that could extend the fertilization window of time.

 

[CHlCKEN]

Actually, there was a study and the hens that change to roosters fertilized hens, and those fertilized eggs hatched. I'll try and find the article.

I thought gender-swapping hens always appeared more like a rooster after switching, they are caught crowing to. This hen still squats and looks like a hen. Plus she never crows