I believe I have a hermaphrodite chicken

[CityFarmerRob]

A barred hen can only pass the barred gene down to her sons which proves Vick is a rooster (I don't know of any cases of a rooster becoming a hen and/or laying eggs)

When I first came here with this, I wasn't sure if what I thought happened actually did. And really my curiosity has been satisfied, not so much with Vic, but now I know that there is such a thing as "sex reversal" and that really blows me away. And yeah from what I've gathered from what I've been able to find out and from what the veterinarian told me that these cases all say that they start out as hens and then later take on the characteristics of a rooster and there is nothing that I have found that says that a rooster can revert to a hen. But I've also read / heard about birds that this happens to and they do sometimes lay one or more eggs, but never many. And like I said I just find this all very fascinating!

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

The mail is a Rhode Island red and I caught him in the neighborhood, even running around the city streets and there was in the beginning several of them but he seem to be the only one that survived. And so he is the male and the female I'm pretty sure was a Dominique.

Ohh that without a doubt confirms Vic is 100% a male! To get a barred female the father must be barred. Since the rooster isn't barred when you bred him to a barred hen such a Dominique you produce sex-links, solid daughters and Barred sons.

Yes it does!!

,but now I know that there is such a thing as "sex reversal" and that really blows me away. And yeah from what I've gathered from what I've been able to find out and from what the veterinarian told me that these cases all say that they start out as hens and then later take on the characteristics of a rooster and there is nothing that I have found that says that a rooster can revert to a hen. But I've also read / heard about birds that this happens to and they do sometimes lay one or more eggs, but never many. And like I said I just find this all very fascinating!

You have clearly read quite a lot in an attempt to solve your egg mystery, and yes the subject is fascinating! You may have already learned that sex reversal is gradual, but since Vick was not in your possession and care since he was 6 weeks old, it was Possible that it occurred with him, though it usually happens with older hens.

Going back to the egg mystery, opossums eat an egg by biting into it at the middle and cleaning out all the contents, and I believe rats do so too, so as someone mentioned much earlier in this thread, a rat or small oppossum may have been the culprit. But to offer you further proof that you weren't "crazy" to believe that Vic could have possibly laid the egg, there was a case back in medieval times (1400s) where a "rooster" was tried and found to be a witch, then burned at the stake for witchcraft. That was an infamous case, but it Can occur. So just saying, if Vick had in fact laid the egg, it would have been a very rare occurrence; but not impossible.
https://htrchickens.com/2020/10/28/spooky-chicken-tales-part-i-rooster-burned-at-the-stake/

Also, a belated welcome to BYC. You experienced some skepticism on this thread, probably because you are new and some weren't sure if you were pranking us. But BYC is a wonderful, supportive community of poultry lovers, and you will learn lots if you remain active here. I sincerely hope you do!

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

Meant yes it does prove Vick is male. The member I quoted as to the explanation why somehow didn't post.

Ohh that without a doubt confirms Vic is 100% a male! To get a barred female the father must be barred. Since the rooster isn't barred when you bred him to a barred hen such a Dominique you produce sex-links, solid daughters and Barred sons.

 

[McChooky]

When I first came here with this, I wasn't sure if what I thought happened actually did. And really my curiosity has been satisfied, not so much with Vic, but now I know that there is such a thing as "sex reversal" and that really blows me away. And yeah from what I've gathered from what I've been able to find out and from what the veterinarian told me that these cases all say that they start out as hens and then later take on the characteristics of a rooster and there is nothing that I have found that says that a rooster can revert to a hen. But I've also read / heard about birds that this happens to and they do sometimes lay one or more eggs, but never many. And like I said I just find this all very fascinating!

Hens can also reject the sperm of unwanted roosters (built in birth control!) and lay fertilize eggs from stored sperm without mating a rooster.

 

[McChooky]

When I first came here with this, I wasn't sure if what I thought happened actually did. And really my curiosity has been satisfied, not so much with Vic, but now I know that there is such a thing as "sex reversal" and that really blows me away. And yeah from what I've gathered from what I've been able to find out and from what the veterinarian told me that these cases all say that they start out as hens and then later take on the characteristics of a rooster and there is nothing that I have found that says that a rooster can revert to a hen. But I've also read / heard about birds that this happens to and they do sometimes lay one or more eggs, but never many. And like I said I just find this all very fascinating!

Your rooster could still become famous if that egg hatches lol

 

[CityFarmerRob]

Yes it does!!

You have clearly read quite a lot in an attempt to solve your egg mystery, and yes the subject is fascinating! You may have already learned that sex reversal is gradual, but since Vick was not in your possession and care since he was 6 weeks old, it was Possible that it occurred with him, though it usually happens with older hens.

Going back to the egg mystery, opossums eat an egg by biting into it at the middle and cleaning out all the contents, and I believe rats do so too, so as someone mentioned much earlier in this thread, a rat or small oppossum may have been the culprit. But to offer you further proof that you weren't "crazy" to believe that Vic could have possibly laid the egg, there was a case back in medieval times (1400s) where a "rooster" was tried and found to be a witch, then burned at the stake for witchcraft. That was an infamous case, but it Can occur. So just saying, if Vick had in fact laid the egg, it would have been a very rare occurrence; but not impossible.
https://htrchickens.com/2020/10/28/spooky-chicken-tales-part-i-rooster-burned-at-the-stake/

Also, a belated welcome to BYC. You experienced some skepticism on this thread, probably because you are new and some weren't sure if you were pranking us. But BYC is a wonderful, supportive community of poultry lovers, and you will learn lots if you remain active here. I sincerely hope you do!

Absolutely agree 100%! Since I first got on this site I believe I am now a much better educated and motivated keeper. And I never discounted any possibility however improbable, just was looking for the truth no matter what it turned out to be. But listen to this, my neighbor is an older man in his seventies and several days ago we were talking and I brought up Vic and he's curious circumstances. And while everybody I've explained what I think is happening to I just includes the professionals also the same thing very odd highly unlikely be pretty rare if it ever happened. But that's not what he said. When I told him that I think I have a rooster that laid an egg his response was"oh yeah you'll have that sometimes" and I responded what do you mean you'll have that sometimes?? And he said back on the farm when he was growing up every once in awhile they would have a bird that they thought was a hen and then later look like it turned into it rooster and every once in awhile he said they would lay eggs. And I was curious, actually blown away by his remark. And then I believe the mystery of why it happened so much on his farm and he told me that he can recall at least three birds that did this that they had, they would only kill a rooster if they need anything for food or if he was causing a problem other than that they ran around like the rest of them. And this was some time ago so there was no incubators on his farm, all the chicks were raised by hens. And in this day and age where there seems to be a prejudice against roosters that the moment people find out it's a rooster they dispose of it. Makes you wonder how many birds this may have happened to that were killed because on the surface everybody thought it was just a rooster. But here comes this guy with real life stories of where this has happened on multiple occasions, and if someone out there saying oh he's lying I would respond by saying no he's not. In this rooster probably would have been inflated for The chopping block at least two maybe three times up until now. The lady I gave them to said if I did not take him back then they would have to kill it because they didn't want a rooster. And to me that would be the coolest thing to find out true, that a lack of compassion for roosters made this occurrence so rare that it walked the line of impossible and through compassion for the rooster we have this little mystery. Isn't life Grand!!!!

 

[CityFarmerRob]

Hens can also reject the sperm of unwanted roosters (built in birth control!) and lay fertilize eggs from stored sperm without mating a rooster.

And I remember reading about that. That hens can store sperm for later fertilization and could be away from a rooster for several weeks and still lay fertilized eggs. Clever Little birds!

 

[CityFarmerRob]

P
Absolutely agree 100%! Since I first got on this site I believe I am now a much better educated and motivated keeper. And I never discounted any possibility however improbable, just was looking for the truth no matter what it turned out to be. But listen to this, my neighbor is an older man in his seventies and several days ago we were talking and I brought up Vic and he's curious circumstances. And while everybody I've explained what I think is happening to I just includes the professionals also the same thing very odd highly unlikely be pretty rare if it ever happened. But that's not what he said. When I told him that I think I have a rooster that laid an egg his response was"oh yeah you'll have that sometimes" and I responded what do you mean you'll have that sometimes?? And he said back on the farm when he was growing up every once in awhile they would have a bird that they thought was a hen and then later look like it turned into it rooster and every once in awhile he said they would lay eggs. And I was curious, actually blown away by his remark. And then I believe the mystery of why it happened so much on his farm and he told me that he can recall at least three birds that did this that they had, they would only kill a rooster if they need anything for food or if he was causing a problem other than that they ran around like the rest of them. And this was some time ago so there was no incubators on his farm, all the chicks were raised by hens. And in this day and age where there seems to be a prejudice against roosters that the moment people find out it's a rooster they dispose of it. Makes you wonder how many birds this may have happened to that were killed because on the surface everybody thought it was just a rooster. But here comes this guy with real life stories of where this has happened on multiple occasions, and if someone out there saying oh he's lying I would respond by saying no he's not. In this rooster probably would have been inflated for The chopping block at least two maybe three times up until now. The lady I gave them to said if I did not take him back then they would have to kill it because they didn't want a rooster. And to me that would be the coolest thing to find out true, that a lack of compassion for roosters made this occurrence so rare that it walked the line of impossible and through compassion for the rooster we have this little mystery. Isn't life Grand!!!!

 

[CityFarmerRob]

P
Absolutely agree 100%! Since I first got on this site I believe I am now a much better educated and motivated keeper. And I never discounted any possibility however improbable, just was looking for the truth no matter what it turned out to be. But listen to this, my neighbor is an older man in his seventies and several days ago we were talking and I brought up Vic and he's curious circumstances. And while everybody I've explained what I think is happening to I just includes the professionals also the same thing very odd highly unlikely be pretty rare if it ever happened. But that's not what he said. When I told him that I think I have a rooster that laid an egg his response was"oh yeah you'll have that sometimes" and I responded what do you mean you'll have that sometimes?? And he said back on the farm when he was growing up every once in awhile they would have a bird that they thought was a hen and then later look like it turned into it rooster and every once in awhile he said they would lay eggs. And I was curious, actually blown away by his remark. And then I believe the mystery of why it happened so much on his farm and he told me that he can recall at least three birds that did this that they had, they would only kill a rooster if they need anything for food or if he was causing a problem other than that they ran around like the rest of them. And this was some time ago so there was no incubators on his farm, all the chicks were raised by hens. And in this day and age where there seems to be a prejudice against roosters that the moment people find out it's a rooster they dispose of it. Makes you wonder how many birds this may have happened to that were killed because on the surface everybody thought it was just a rooster. But here comes this guy with real life stories of where this has happened on multiple occasions, and if someone out there saying oh he's lying I would respond by saying no he's not. In this rooster probably would have been inflated for The chopping block at least two maybe three times up until now. The lady I gave them to said if I did not take him back then they would have to kill it because they didn't want a rooster. And to me that would be the coolest thing to find out true, that a lack of compassion for roosters made this occurrence so rare that it walked the line of impossible and through compassion for the rooster we have this little mystery. Isn't life Grand!!!!

And please good people, don't beat me up because some of the words are wrong and don't make sense. That is way too much for me to type and I'm watching a football game, not making an excuse just giving an explanation.

 

[CityFarmerRob]

Your rooster could still become famous if that egg hatches lol

And for those people out there who are still under the impression that somebody, other than Superman or one of the avengers, could come into my yard and put an egg in one of my coops.