Transgender Chicken?

[donrae]

Okay, the EE is a girl. Just checking! And that buff looks ready to lay, also.

 

[peartreehens]

Yes, the buff orp has been squatting & investigating nest boxes. I'm hopeful she'll start up soon! No one else shows any interest in either of those things, tho obviously Sarah has the grown up face going...

 

[chooks4life]

I didn't see any male rump feathering in the close up, so I'd guess it's a hen. Some hens have more typically male neck feathering, plenty of mine do, and some even have the curved rump feathers. Unless it does a number like that male of mine did, I'd guess it's a girl. Mine looked even more of a girl for even longer. But it was an exception.

About gender appearance swapping, it's possible that one I had was female, but it always had a more male shape to it even though for all the signs I thought it was female. I suspect it may have just had low and late-starting hormone issues. I have had some hens mate with others, but none of them were masculinzed. I wonder if, at some time in the past or even for some small percentage, a successful gender swap is possible. Like those fish that change gender once or even multiple times in their lives.

 

[capefearchicks]

I think we may be having a hen going through this change! We have 18 Dominiques that are almost 6 months old. One of them is very clearly a rooster and has been clearly a rooster since 3 days old. The others were clearly hens, but now one has sprouted long curved tail feathers, spurs and the wispy neck feathers like the rooster! He/she does not have saddle feathers yet and is the color of then hens, not the rooster, but I can't explain the rest. We are not sure if he/she ever laid any eggs, we are getting quite a few Dominique eggs already, but we're not sure from which hens.

 

[aggiemae]

Wellsummers are often slow starters but be patient once she starts laying she will lay pretty much every day.

 

[Mammachix]

I had a hen crossover into rooster-land. She/he came out of the closet when we put the other two overly-dominant roosters in the crockpot. Then..surprise! She, Aphrodite, had never crowed, never acted dominant, always backed down from the other two roosters. Her name is now Zeus and he is an awesome rooster...gentle, protective, and a real don Juan with the ladies. He crows when needed and very slowly grew gorgeous tail feathers...just much later than the other two roos.

 

[peartreehens]

So, update for you. A month later, Sarah still hasn't started to lay. Her face is red as red can be, her comb and wattles are substantial. She's still Alpha Chicken, but we've come to a point where she gets and generally respects that *I* am the real alpha. And today, she squatted for me!!!!! First squat! She may actually get her act together! Yay!

 

[98Luna]

My hen has spurs and bright comb and wattles. She's also really bossy too.

 

[peartreehens]

so 2 1/2 months after getting super-red comb and wattles, she finally got her act together! Sarah laid her first egg yesterday!

Now six of my eight are pulling their weight!

yay Sarah!

 

[chooks4life]

Good to know, thanks for the update.