My hermaphrodite chicken

[pattee]

My favorite hen started her molt and I noticed she was losing all of her feathers. The other 5 were losing a few at a time but my golden wyandotte was losing all of hers.

2 Days ago, the 5 hens started pinning her down and pecking at her unmercifully. Chasing her and pinning her down ~ It was torturous to see. I knew I had to do something or they'd peck her to death.

I called our local feed and seed store.. they said they'd take her and find a good home. When they saw her they said Wow, you're hen is getting rooster feathers.... So she was losing all her feathers to grow in rooster feathers. I looked this up on line and it happens to 1 in 10,000 chickens. They start out as hens, lay eggs but at about a year and a half to 2 years they change from a hen to a rooster....

I was so sorry to hear this, like I said she was my favorite chicken.
But she's found a great home where she can free range in the day and sleep in the house at night...

 

[CoopCrazy]

Wow Ive heard about it but.. That would be so weird to actually watch ... Sorry you had to give up your fav it seems to always work out that way ..

 

[LarryPQ]

poor chicken. You know that pecking is now a hate crime.

 

[CoopCrazy]

Quote:
I know its not right but that had me

 

[speckledhen]

Quote:

What are they calling "rooster feathers" anyway? Sadly, I've heard bizarro things like that at many feedstores. Good grief.

ETA: There have been hermaphrodite chickens, but I do not buy one actually changing from a hen to a rooster. Starting to act like a rooster, maybe, but actually physically turning into one, no.

 

[pattee]

Yes it's a true fact... She was lostin her hen feathers (that's why she lost all of them) and the feather's growing back were tipped rooster feathers.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/wor...ed-Georgina-turned-cockerel-named-George.html

I'm not sure this will post as a link but if you're interested in this here's a link to a hermaphrodite chicken.

They say it happens to 1 in 10,000 chickens...

 

[pips&peeps]

A hermaphrodite is defined as an animal or plant that has both male and female reproductive organs. This bird does not.

I don't really think the article is correct in saying the Georgina turned from a female to a male. She has a hormone imbalance and is just displaying hormone induced properties now. She is not really a male.

'Only one ovary normally functions in a chicken, the left one. If that gets damaged then the other one kicks into life but causes a jump in testosterone.

'That in turn causes a flood of hormones which sparks the changes in the way the chicken looks, with the growth of new plumage, a wattle and comb and sometimes they even crow, but they cannot reproduce.'

That final statement would be my reason why I would say it is still a she.​

 

[speckledhen]

Do you mean your GLW has pointy hackle and pointy saddle feathers? Is that what you mean by tipped feathers? I've heard of them feathering in with different color patterns, but that would be wild if she now has saddle feathers!

I've seen that article and I see no evidence stated in there that the hen really turned into a rooster. So her comb grew larger and she crows...that doesn't mean she is a rooster. The following statement cracked me up, LOL!

'He always had slightly hairy legs which was a bit of a give-away. He doesn't lay eggs anymore and crows every morning - it's quite a turnaround.'

Hairy legs?? Good grief! First of all, no chicken has hair on their legs and second, that has nothing to do with being male or female.

To be a true hermaphrodite, you must have the organs of both sexes at the same time. I'm betting the hen in the article does not. Her hormones are out of whack, like Jean said. What's going on with your hen, no idea!​

 

[CHIC]

Speckledhen, you are cracking me up! I love your GOOD GRIEF!

 

[pattee]

She is getting pointy hackle and saddle feathers ~ She losing all her hen feathers and the pointy hackle and saddle are coming in.

She's never going to reproduce.
She's going to have the characteristics of a rooster. Feathers, waddle and comb. She might even crow. She'll never lay eggs again.

A genetic blip if you will...

Still I'm feeling really sadden ~ she was my baby,