Pleeeeaaaze be a hen!

[Chickmate]

Quote:
Get out! Are you serious?

Completely, in absents of a rooster the most dominant hen will stop laying and start crowing, her body will release more testosterone and her behavior will become rooster(ish) including mounting hens and strutting, crowing, and calling hens for food- warning about predators.

She however will NOT be fertile (as a male, no male bits), when a real male is introduced she will stop 'playing roo' and go back to laying eggs.

That is amazing, never heard it before!!

 

[FireTigeris]

Here is a funny story about one : http://urbanchickens.org/blog/transgender-hens

here a thread here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=261761

 

[Ladybird CA]

That is interesting about the hens becoming roosterish. I had heard of it once before but didn't think it would be that common.

I agree that they're probably both hens.

 

[FireTigeris]

Quote:
well, 'that common' may not be true- in 80,000 members there is that little thread (and a couple others with ppl that don't have them now but remember.

It be like me starting a thread here: Gyndomorph chickens - they are very rare but EVERYONE that has one or knows on would post:

http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2010/03/no-sexual-confusion-for-chicken.html

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=400424

not counting the "I remember having one, and I had one but all male or all female, and the ohhh that's neat" there are relatively few people -with- the chickens.

 

[hennyannie]

I had to check this out because a couple years ago I had a group of hens that layed 12/ 12 eggs a day but I saw one of them mount the other hens numerous times. They even had some damage on their backs.They never crowed however.

 

[Ladybird CA]

Quote:
well, 'that common' may not be true- in 80,000 members there is that little thread (and a couple others with ppl that don't have them now but remember.

It be like me starting a thread here: Gyndomorph chickens - they are very rare but EVERYONE that has one or knows on would post:

http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2010/03/no-sexual-confusion-for-chicken.html

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=400424

not counting the "I remember having one, and I had one but all male or all female, and the ohhh that's neat" there are relatively few people -with- the chickens.

Holy cow I can't believe there are over 87,000 members on this board now. When I first joined back in 2004 but forgot the password, there were less than 5,000 members.

 

[LarissaCluck]

(Raises hand) Crowing hen at my home. Actually Helga the crowing EE hen just passed away. After moving to our home and being rid of the roosters she took to crowing loudly in the morning. My neighbors thought we were lying about just getting hens, lol . She was quite loud. She didn't do it all night and day like many roosters do though. And she still laid eggs.

 

[Chickmate]

Quote:
well, 'that common' may not be true- in 80,000 members there is that little thread (and a couple others with ppl that don't have them now but remember.

It be like me starting a thread here: Gyndomorph chickens - they are very rare but EVERYONE that has one or knows on would post:

http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2010/03/no-sexual-confusion-for-chicken.html

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=400424

not counting the "I remember having one, and I had one but all male or all female, and the ohhh that's neat" there are relatively few people -with- the chickens.

Wow, that hen is as loud as a rooster! This amazes me. Who'd a thunk??

 

[simplyscrambled]

Bringing this back up to let everyone know they were right on! Elle is indeed a lovely black hen. Her egg is the small bluer one (her 2nd egg.)

I don't know yet about the grey one, but will inquire when school starts up again.

 

[MassivelyScrambled]

Chicken Daddy and BF of SimplyScrambled here.... Such a relief to find out the our little black premmie chick turn into a big beautiful black hen! Whew!!

What a personality on this girl, so smart, so tenacious (in a good way) and so far a good layer. All is right in the chicken world that is our backyard. Until next spring..... lol: