Trans chicken?

[ChickenKing]

Hi Guys,

I got a question to see if anyone else has ever experienced this. I have an old Isa Brown (Gwen) and she has always been a lieutenant. First top hen was her sister Maureen until she got attacked by a dog and was crippled 2 years ago, then Suzie became top hen. I had removed Suzie from the flock for a week to look after the new chicks and Gwen became top hen by default because the only other hen was Maureen. Her wattles became very red and stood up, feathers beautiful for the first time in years, she grew spurs and was very aggressive. Suzie rejoined the flock and became top hen again. A week later both Suzie and Maureen were dead and I introduced 4 babies to Gwen to show the ropes, it took a week before she warmed to them. One day I saw what seemed to be the clear egg liquid with no yolk or shell come out of her and from that moment she took on the chicks as a mum and alot less aggressive. Can anyone tell me what happened to Gwen?

 

[MysteryChicken]

Hi Guys,

I got a question to see if anyone else has ever experienced this. I have an old Isa Brown (Gwen) and she has always been a lieutenant. First top hen was her sister Maureen until she got attacked by a dog and was crippled 2 years ago, then Suzie became top hen. I had removed Suzie from the flock for a week to look after the new chicks and Gwen became top hen by default because the only other hen was Maureen. Her wattles became very red and stood up, feathers beautiful for the first time in years, she grew spurs and was very aggressive. Suzie rejoined the flock and became top hen again. A week later both Suzie and Maureen were dead and I introduced 4 babies to Gwen to show the ropes, it took a week before she warmed to them. One day I saw what seemed to be the clear egg liquid with no yolk or shell come out of her and from that moment she took on the chicks as a mum and alot less aggressive. Can anyone tell me what happened to Gwen?

There's no such thing a "Trans" Hen.

 

[NatJ]

Can anyone tell me what happened to Gwen?

I would mostly explain it as "sometimes chickens are weird."

I have an old Isa Brown (Gwen) and she has always been a lieutenant.

Gwen became top hen by default because the only other hen was Maureen. Her wattles became very red and stood up, feathers beautiful for the first time in years, she grew spurs and was very aggressive.

This change could be because of her different spot in the pecking order: she's now in the top spot, rather than not. The aggression could be because there is no higher hen to force her to tone it down, or it could be that she is uncomfortable in her new role as flock leader and is over-doing it as she tries to cope.

One day I saw what seemed to be the clear egg liquid with no yolk or shell come out of her and from that moment she took on the chicks as a mum and alot less aggressive.

The clear egg liquid I don't know for sure. Hens do sometimes lay an egg with just a membrane and no shell. And they do occasionally produce an egg with just white and no yolk. Maybe both of those happened at the same time, and then it broke before she laid it? I'm just guessing here.

I do not know why her behavior toward the chicks would change at that specific time. Maybe something was going on with her hormones, that caused both the weird egg and the change in behavior?

 

[FrostRanger]

Sounds to me like she has a reproductive issue going on. This sometimes happens, especially in older hens. Just keep an eye on her but there's likely no cure for whatever is going on

 

[nuthatched]

X2, damage to the reproductive organs causes intense hormone issues.

 

[StinkyAcres]

X2, damage to the reproductive organs causes intense hormone issues.

X3. When female birds sustain damage to one of their ovaries it stops producing estrogen and they begin to look and act like males. It's not all that uncommon.

 

[ChickenKing]

There's no such thing a "Trans" Hen.

Obviously. Im thinking because she is an old girl, the hormone dump from becoming top hen was full of testosterone and little estrogen, making her masculine instead of feminine. Both transitions were very noticeable. Feminine to masculine, back to feminine. She stopped laying last year from old age, she is at least 5 yrs old. I've attached a photo, check out those spurs

 

[StinkyAcres]

Obviously. Im thinking because she is an old girl, the hormone dump from becoming top hen was full of testosterone and little estrogen, making her masculine instead of feminine. Both transitions were very noticeable. Feminine to masculine, back to feminine. She stopped laying last year from old age, she is at least 5 yrs old. I've attached a photo, check out those spurs

That is pretty old for an ISA Brown. These hybrid production layers often have reproductive problems sometimes as early as 2 years old and die early as a result. Gwen's had a good run. Her problems can be treated with hormonal implants, but they are costly.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Obviously. Im thinking because she is an old girl, the hormone dump from becoming top hen was full of testosterone and little estrogen, making her masculine instead of feminine. Both transitions were very noticeable. Feminine to masculine, back to feminine. She stopped laying last year from old age, she is at least 5 yrs old. I've attached a photo, check out those spurs

I've got younger hens with Spurs, not all older hens grow them due to hormonal imbalance.
I see absolutely no replacement in the hen feathering, a true off balance usually comes with a hen getting rooster plumage.