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.

 

[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.

 

[Chickycammy]

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.

Caprica has fathered five chicks so far. So that's why I wanted to see, I wasn't sure if that was normal.

 

[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...

 

[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

 

[Cyprus]

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

I agree, this is most likely.

 

[Kajoda929]

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.

This is what I believe I may have, but I'm not sure...Mine looks very much like a male in feathering, but is not growing "his" longer tail feathers, despite being one of the two older ones, and comb is smaller than the younger roos, but bigger than the pullet of the same breed...i was thoroughly confused for the longest time. Tail feathers are even down like a male, just no long feathers at all...

 

[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