(This message was added 1/18/2024. Before you vote or comment; please see post #32, which contains the most recent photos.)
Before I post photos and information regarding my current androgynous chicken, here is a link to the previous thread that this thread title refers to.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/i-have-an-androgynous-chicken.1504007/
This newest androgynous chicken is now 25 weeks old. It is a broody-hatched Easter Egger, one of a clutch of 8 with a hatch date of July 13, 2023. The clutch all hatched from extra-large blue eggs, similiar in size, give or take a few grams. All hens that laid the blue eggs were three years old. The chick in question was noticeably larger at hatch than the other chicks. The questionable chick appears to be white/yellow in the photo below, but feathered out to be splash blue.
By the time the chicks turned 6 weeks old, it seemed obvious by comb sizes and colors as well as feather color patterns that there were 4 pullets and 4 cockerels. Here is the splash chick at age 7 weeks. Despite her still comparatively larger size, there were no thoughts in my mind that she was anything other than a cute pullet.
For the next several weeks I didn't take any more photos of the clutch. However, I did note that the splash chick continued to grow larger than the other pullets as well as all but one of the cockerels. But since her small, light pink comb appeared to be that of a pullet and she had no male saddle feathers, I didn't ponder the size difference.
Due to plentiful six-feet-plus rat snakes residing on my rural wooded property, I didn't let the group out of their hardware cloth-protected chick pen until snake season had passed. When I finally did, and clearly saw the posture and stance of the splash chick, my immediate thoughts were "Oh, wow, hmmm." Not only was "she" much taller than her pullet hatchmates, she also walked and stood very upright. But in contrast, her pea comb was still small and pink, she had no long male saddle feathers, and her legs were very thin and petite with no signs of spur bumps. Now I was confused.
Age 16 weeks
If you think the two photos above appear to depict a pullet, just wait for the next one!
Age 16 weeks
Is it even possible for a pullet to have such an upright posture and stance?!
After viewing this picture, I felt sheepishly foolish to have thought there was any "her" here, especially since some (but not all) of the saddle feathers were pointed at the ends. (close-up pics of saddle feathers to follow) But even the pointed ones were curiously wider and shorter than is typical for a cockerel this age. Before you make your judgement call, please see the following photos and video during the ensuing ten week's time up to the current date.
Age 16 weeks
When she lowered her head, she still appeared to be (mostly?) a pullet.
Age 17 weeks
At age 17 weeks, the saddle feathers were neither long, thin and pointed like the cockerels, nor short and rounded like the pullets. Instead they were all fairly short, but some (not all) had pointed tips.
Age nineteen weeks
No further obvious changes in appearance, and no cockerel behaviors such as crowing, attempting to mate with POL pullets or older hens, etc. The first two photos below include another view of her still unchanged saddle feathers. In the third photo, the Wyandotte standing in front is exactly 1 week younger. By now I was spending considerable time observing and photographing my unusual chicken, and realized she needed a name. I chose the name "Sonnet" because it means "little song" in Italian, and her interesting appearance was helping my heart to "sing" again after losing several favorite older hens the past year. In addition, I was beginning to think "same song, second verse" in relation to my first androgenous chicken.
Age 23 weeks
Until now, there had been no detectable changes in feather appearance or behaviors for the past two months. However, at age 23 weeks, a sickle feather began to grow. Also, her comb began to redden, though it didn't increase in size.
Age 25 weeks
Sonnet now has two obvious sickle feathers, and her comb has reddened more. But comb size hasn't changed, her legs are still thin with no spur buds, and her saddle feathers haven't changed. Still no cockerel (or pullet) mating behaviors whatsoever.
If it is true that a picture speaks a thousand words, it may also be true that a video speaks a thousand pictures. Here is a video I took of Sonnet at age 25 weeks.
It shows her/his/their very erect and upright posture. All the other pullets in the video also hatched during summer 2023.
I am very interested to know the thoughts and opinions of BYC members! If you notice any attributes and characteristics I didn't mention, please point them out. I didn't feel certain my first androgenous chicken was a "they" until Big Girl turned two+ years old. By then she had never laid an egg, never mated nor been mated, and exhibited life-long behaviors of a gentle hen, even though her appearance became more masculine as time passed. (For one thing she grew enormous spurs.) Sonnet is still too young to be sure about her sex(s), but she does bear uncanny similiarities to Big Girl. I realize a duel-sexed bird is rare, and never in my wildest dreams ever expected to possibly have another. I expect Sonnet's appearance to change in the coming weeks/months/years, though in what way(s) I cannot foresee. I will update if i see any further changes, and will update in a couple month's time either way. Tell me what you see and think!
Before I post photos and information regarding my current androgynous chicken, here is a link to the previous thread that this thread title refers to.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/i-have-an-androgynous-chicken.1504007/
This newest androgynous chicken is now 25 weeks old. It is a broody-hatched Easter Egger, one of a clutch of 8 with a hatch date of July 13, 2023. The clutch all hatched from extra-large blue eggs, similiar in size, give or take a few grams. All hens that laid the blue eggs were three years old. The chick in question was noticeably larger at hatch than the other chicks. The questionable chick appears to be white/yellow in the photo below, but feathered out to be splash blue.
By the time the chicks turned 6 weeks old, it seemed obvious by comb sizes and colors as well as feather color patterns that there were 4 pullets and 4 cockerels. Here is the splash chick at age 7 weeks. Despite her still comparatively larger size, there were no thoughts in my mind that she was anything other than a cute pullet.
For the next several weeks I didn't take any more photos of the clutch. However, I did note that the splash chick continued to grow larger than the other pullets as well as all but one of the cockerels. But since her small, light pink comb appeared to be that of a pullet and she had no male saddle feathers, I didn't ponder the size difference.
Due to plentiful six-feet-plus rat snakes residing on my rural wooded property, I didn't let the group out of their hardware cloth-protected chick pen until snake season had passed. When I finally did, and clearly saw the posture and stance of the splash chick, my immediate thoughts were "Oh, wow, hmmm." Not only was "she" much taller than her pullet hatchmates, she also walked and stood very upright. But in contrast, her pea comb was still small and pink, she had no long male saddle feathers, and her legs were very thin and petite with no signs of spur bumps. Now I was confused.
Age 16 weeks
If you think the two photos above appear to depict a pullet, just wait for the next one!
Age 16 weeks
Is it even possible for a pullet to have such an upright posture and stance?!
After viewing this picture, I felt sheepishly foolish to have thought there was any "her" here, especially since some (but not all) of the saddle feathers were pointed at the ends. (close-up pics of saddle feathers to follow) But even the pointed ones were curiously wider and shorter than is typical for a cockerel this age. Before you make your judgement call, please see the following photos and video during the ensuing ten week's time up to the current date.Age 16 weeks
When she lowered her head, she still appeared to be (mostly?) a pullet.
Age 17 weeks
At age 17 weeks, the saddle feathers were neither long, thin and pointed like the cockerels, nor short and rounded like the pullets. Instead they were all fairly short, but some (not all) had pointed tips.
Age nineteen weeks
No further obvious changes in appearance, and no cockerel behaviors such as crowing, attempting to mate with POL pullets or older hens, etc. The first two photos below include another view of her still unchanged saddle feathers. In the third photo, the Wyandotte standing in front is exactly 1 week younger. By now I was spending considerable time observing and photographing my unusual chicken, and realized she needed a name. I chose the name "Sonnet" because it means "little song" in Italian, and her interesting appearance was helping my heart to "sing" again after losing several favorite older hens the past year. In addition, I was beginning to think "same song, second verse" in relation to my first androgenous chicken.
Age 23 weeks
Until now, there had been no detectable changes in feather appearance or behaviors for the past two months. However, at age 23 weeks, a sickle feather began to grow. Also, her comb began to redden, though it didn't increase in size.
Age 25 weeks
Sonnet now has two obvious sickle feathers, and her comb has reddened more. But comb size hasn't changed, her legs are still thin with no spur buds, and her saddle feathers haven't changed. Still no cockerel (or pullet) mating behaviors whatsoever.
If it is true that a picture speaks a thousand words, it may also be true that a video speaks a thousand pictures. Here is a video I took of Sonnet at age 25 weeks.
It shows her/his/their very erect and upright posture. All the other pullets in the video also hatched during summer 2023.
I am very interested to know the thoughts and opinions of BYC members! If you notice any attributes and characteristics I didn't mention, please point them out. I didn't feel certain my first androgenous chicken was a "they" until Big Girl turned two+ years old. By then she had never laid an egg, never mated nor been mated, and exhibited life-long behaviors of a gentle hen, even though her appearance became more masculine as time passed. (For one thing she grew enormous spurs.) Sonnet is still too young to be sure about her sex(s), but she does bear uncanny similiarities to Big Girl. I realize a duel-sexed bird is rare, and never in my wildest dreams ever expected to possibly have another. I expect Sonnet's appearance to change in the coming weeks/months/years, though in what way(s) I cannot foresee. I will update if i see any further changes, and will update in a couple month's time either way. Tell me what you see and think!
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. Big Girl is truly a legend. Given your experience with intersex birds, I would not be so quick to disregard this "case", if one can call it that. While I had quite a few birds posture like Sonnet, I never had one of them show any other signs of androgyny. Either way, we should know in a couple of weeks time
