Sex Changes????

[Dustin Biery]

Well the true test there woul be to see if it mates with any of the hen and the eggs are viable.

 

[riversidefarm]

Had a call duck hen that laid her first year then stopped laying and got drake tail. She still sounds like a hen.

 

[Rodeoclown1189]

this would be awesome to see i have never seen this happen in the 10 years we have raised chickens

 

[stuckinthecity]

I had a red star hen crow (it was Big Girl... RIP) and she had a VERY deep voice.

 

[xtremechickens]

Quote:
We have a Rouen duck that we thought was a drake but a few months ago now looks like a female? What do you guys think??? Thanks

Daffy 6mo ago.

Daffy now

 

[xtremechickens]

don't mean to steal the thread but does anyone have any idea's about our Rouen male/female duck??? Thanks

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
I dont think so either. Its totally funny that someone would actually do the article.
I know hens will crow, and act like a roo when there is not one........but to grow saddle feathers and a big comb and wattles is too much to believe

It is true, it happens, it is well documented in the scientific literature.

Hormones control the growth of feathers: both pattern (primary & secondary) and shape (rounded/pointed hackle/saddle). Hens typically hace only one functioning overy; if it is damages, the hen no longer produces female hormones, and the small amount of male hormones present in the genetic female take over. Combs and spurs are also governed by testosterone.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Male ducks (and many other birds as well) go through an eclipse molt, losing their male colourng and growing plumage that is identical (or nearly so) to the typical female plumage. This occurs annually.

 

[dretd]

Quote:
I have not personally seen this happen, which was the initial question, however, this is something that has been well documented in literature.

25 years ago my developmental biology teacher recounted a story where he shot a 'male' pheasant, but when his dog fetched the bird, it looked hennish with some secondary male characteristics that he cued on to shoot.

A hen normally has one functioning ovary (usually the left) whereas a cockerel will have 2 testes. If the hen's ovary becomes damaged and regresses, in some cases the remaining vestigial right germinal tissue will become active. The tissue grows and is called an ovotestis. The ovotestis will produce some estorogen and some testosterone and she may develop outward physical signs/behaviors of a male (phenotype) based on the amounts of estogen and testosterone produced. Her genotype is still that of a female.

 

[catdaddyfro]

In other words kinda like a female on "roids" huh. Or getting a full hysterectomy and needing to take female hormones or weird stuff starts happening. For one IRRIBILITY huh ex-wife. Whoo doggie thats rough.