Is it possible for hermaphroditic chicken to self fertilize eggs?

[ChickNoobie]

I have a 27 week old Silkie who was vent sexed by the hatchery and determined to be male. She started laying eggs with the rest of them a couple weeks ago and lays every day. My flock is a small backyard flock and I have observed each one of them laying and have never seen any mounting behavior or crowing or anything. But these eggs that the Silkie lays look distinctly fertile. And only her eggs. What do we think could be going on here?

 

[nuthatched]

It's a female chicken, vent sexing is only 85-95% accurate, less with bantam breeds.
Sometimes eggs can look fertile or very unlikelyas it's rare, be fertile without any male at all, I forget what it's called but they are fertile but they don't grow long if incubated.

 

[ChickNoobie]

Cool. Yes I was wondering if that could be the case. I know that vent sexing isn’t super accurate for bantams. She always seems really feminine to me from the start too. I suppose it’s more likely chance that she just lays eggs that look fertile. I wouldn’t have thought anything of it if she wasn’t sexed male from the start.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Sometimes eggs can look fertile or very unlikelyas it's rare, be fertile without any male at all, I forget what it's called but they are fertile but they don't grow long if incubated.

This is what you are thinking of. Rare but it happens.

Parthenogenesis: Embryonic development in unfertilized eggs may impact normal fertilization and embryonic mortality | The Poultry Site

 

[ChickNoobie]

This is what you are thinking of. Rare but it happens.

Parthenogenesis: Embryonic development in unfertilized eggs may impact normal fertilization and embryonic mortality | The Poultry Site

Awesome article! A very interesting read. Thank you for taking the time to dig that up for me.

 

[aart]

I used to swear by the bullseye for fertility, but since having a hen only flock for a couple years, many of the yolks look fertile, but they are not.