Is there such a thing as a hermaphrodite in chickens?

[Chickycammy]

I have fenced off areas in my side yard and backyard with two different flocks of chickens. Caprica, my Barred Rock / Plymouth Rock mix it's supposed to be a rooster. He is housed with his only companion a smaller mixed hen. She lays small pink/creamed eggs but today I found Caprica in the coop laying on a large brown egg. In no way could that egg be from the hen. My father suggested that he could be a hermaphrodite because he remembered having one on his grandmother's farm when he was a child.

So my question is; is it possible for there to be a hermaphrodite in chickens?

Note: I don't believe it could be from my other flock as I have this fence fixed so the other male (his father) can't get to him because they fight. So I don't think the other hens could have gotten in it.

Here are some pictures of him and the egg I found under him.

 

[Frazzemrat1]

My understanding is they have to do one or the other. This guy has the big comb and wattles, has the saddle feathers. He's a rooster, through and through...

 

[Cyprus]

Yes, we call them Chimeras. That's probably what he is, as he looks more female like than male.

 

[Cyprus]

It can also happen that if a hen has a defunkt left ovary, she will feather in like a male, act like a male and crow like a male but not lay. Or she may lay, but rarely.

 

[Cyprus]

More likely the hen laid the brown egg or someone snuck in when nobody was looking.

I agree, this is most likely.

 

[Rhodebar Lover]

I believe there can be female chickens that develop male feathers due to an ovarian cyst. But to my understanding they originally lay and act like hens and then stop once this occurs and never be able to father chicks. If it fathered chicks, I bet he's a rooster. Roosters will often sit in nests to show hens where to lay too

 

[Rhodebar Lover]

Mine, specifically is only 3 1/2 to 4 months old currently...I've been confused since this one was three weeks old, thinking it was female, but then started developing more and more male traits

Can I respectfully ask why you assume it's a hermaphrodite when it hasn't even reached sexual maturity? I find it extremely likely to be a slow maturing cockerel. Sometimes they can take 5-6 months to finally start acting like one

 

[Criticalicious]

More likely the hen laid the brown egg or someone snuck in when nobody was looking.

 

[piyo piyo]

Sometimes there's a hormone imbalance that causes hens to develop roo-ish looks and behavior. I'm not a expert on this, so I'll be learning right along with you

 

[RainbowHen]

I had one. "She" didn't quite look like a hen, didn't quite look like a roo. Never crowed and never layed an egg