My chicken is utterly confused about their gender.

[ChickenMama4667]

I got 2 baby chicks a while ago a naked neck turken and a silkie and I thought they were girls but the naked neck turned out to be just a late bloomer and is now showing lots of signs of being a rooster. But the other one is a silkie and has been acting like a hen and laying eggs up till just recently it started crowing and trying to mate with my hens. I noticed she has started being more aggressive towards the other hens as well. The rooster and the silkie are best friends they are always together. The silkie's posture has also changed from a normal hen stance to puffing her chest out and she stands tall. If it helps any she also has large spurs. I haven't noticed any small white eggs in the nest box recently. I think she might have changed her gender but I'm not sure. The rooster doesn't try to mate with the silkie which I thought might just be because they were raised together but it would make sense if she has changed gender that he wouldn't mate with her. Please share your thoughts I'm desperately trying to get an answer to this perplexing situation.

 

[Slothinc]

Hi and welcome to BYC! If you have any photos of your chicks and their ages we can confirm for you. It sounds to me like the silkie was a boy all along - they are very difficult to sex early on, and many people are surprised when their “girls” start crowing. Everything that you have said about the silkie points to it being a cockerel that is finally maturing.

 

[Slothinc]

I got 2 baby chicks a while ago a naked neck turken and a silkie and I thought they were girls but the naked neck turned out to be just a late bloomer and is now showing lots of signs of being a rooster. But the other one is a silkie and has been acting like a hen and laying eggs up till just recently it started crowing and trying to mate with my hens. I noticed she has started being more aggressive towards the other hens as well. The rooster and the silkie are best friends they are always together. The silkie's posture has also changed from a normal hen stance to puffing her chest out and she stands tall. If it helps any she also has large spurs. I haven't noticed any small white eggs in the nest box recently. I think she might have changed her gender but I'm not sure. The rooster doesn't try to mate with the silkie which I thought might just be because they were raised together but it would make sense if she has changed gender that he wouldn't mate with her. Please share your thoughts I'm desperately trying to get an answer to this perplexing situation.

The only thing I am questioning is that you said the silkie was laying eggs… can you let us know why you think that she was laying eggs? How old is he/she now?

 

[PennelopeSpeaks]

Wow! That is crazy! I have heard of chickens changing gender before, mainly due to the absence of a rooster or hormone imbalances/tumors and such, but I think it's pretty rare. Do you have any other chickens that may have laid a small white egg? Sometimes my chickens lay tiny little eggs that resemble silkie eggs but they are normal sized hens. I have a hen who has many rooster-like characteristics, including spurs but I've never seen her try and mate with any of my other hens. Keep us posted!

 

[FrostRanger]

If the silkie was indeed laying eggs, what happened is she likely has developed some sort of reproductive problem. Hens only have one ovary and once that's damaged that's it. A hen with such issues will take on the behavior and appearance of a rooster, but she is not in fact turning into a rooster. Nothing you can really do about it, if you don't mind having a rooster-like hen in your flock and she isn't causing problems, you can let things be as they are

 

[Slothinc]

Photos will help for sure, try to get one straight on of the comb, one of the face showing comb and wattle area as well, and one of the chicken straight from the side to be able to see hackle, saddle and tail.

 

[FrostRanger]

Photos will help for sure, try to get one straight on of the comb, one of the face showing comb and wattle area as well, and one of the chicken straight from the side to be able to see hackle, saddle and tail.

I would also add to post pictures of the turken as well just to be sure

 

[ChickenMama4667]

The only thing I am questioning is that you said the silkie was laying eggs… can you let us know why you think that she was laying eggs? How old is he/she now

Hi and welcome to BYC! If you have any photos of your chicks and their ages we can confirm for you. It sounds to me like the silkie was a boy all along - they are very difficult to sex early on, and many people are surprised when their “girls” start crowing. Everything that you have said about the silkie points to it being a cockerel that is finally maturing.

I believe she or he is about 29 weeks old now. i don't have one of the comb and wattles i will have to send pictures of that later. The first pic is of the silkie a couple months ago and the 2nd pic was just recently.

 

[ChickenMama4667]

Wow! That is crazy! I have heard of chickens changing gender before, mainly due to the absence of a rooster or hormone imbalances/tumors and such, but I think it's pretty rare. Do you have any other chickens that may have laid a small white egg? Sometimes my chickens lay tiny little eggs that resemble silkie eggs but they are normal sized hens. I have a hen who has many rooster-like characteristics, including spurs but I've never seen her try and mate with any of my other hens. Keep us posted!

I actually don't have any other chickens that lay small white eggs.

 

[ChickenMama4667]

Here are the pics of the naked neck.