Hermaphrodite Welsummer PulletIt appears as though we have a hermaphrodite chicken. The Welsummer chicks can be sexed at a day old and we were certain this chick was a pullet (female chicken under a year old). As she grew it was obvious that she was definitely a pullet. About a month ago we had a friend over who is our local chicken expert and she noticed immediately. The first sign was the rooster feathers and upon closer inspection she is growing a comb and is getting the head feathers of a rooster as well. I was bummed because we were down to two Welsummer pullets, and I am more excited about the eggs out of this breed than any of the others.
another view Fortunately, my chicken expert friend has several Welsummer Pullets and I was able to buy two more from her. So, once again I am up to three, and hoping I don't lose any more. I looked up a bit about hermaphrodite chickens. I believe that this one started life as a pullet. In the last couple months she injured one of her ovaries and her body began producing more testosterone. I don't think she will ever lay any eggs. Should be interesting to see how closely she resembles our other Welsummer rooster.
Welsummer cockeral and pulletI've shared this photo before but here it is again. You can click on the pictures to see a close up. This is a regular Welsummer cockeral and pullet. You can see how the chicken in the top photos looks like the pullet but is beginning to look like the cockeral.
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6 comments:
I stumbled upon your article after doing some research on the internet. It appears that I have a hermaphodite turkey. Toni (I guess we can just spell "her" name differently now) started as -- I guess -- as a hen. She was hatched in June and was one of a trio of rare breed. I lost 2 to dogs -- so was excited to still have a hen. See the luck I have!
In November I noticed that she was a whole lot larger and she started trying to strut once again. She did so as a week old poult -- thru 12 weeks -- but did stop. One of the toms on the farm has mounted her. However, in the last month she fans her tail and has now grown a snoot -- not as long -- but definately there. I thought I was crazy!
I had a similar experience with my pet rooster Velociraptor. He grew up with feminine features but ended up a roo in the end... Happily chasing feather duster. http://www.deloreyworks.com/fowlexperiments/2010/02/hermaphroditic-velociraptor/
Found your blog when I was doing a google search on this subject. I have a weird hermaphrodite chicken too.
It seemed to have been a female and even began experimenting with making nests like its sisters were doing at about ages 5-7 months.
Then suddenly it quickly started crowing and growing spurs,big combs and big wattles.
The roosters used to mate it but once it began turning male they stopped and it began mating the hens.
Its presence dont seem to make the other roosters feel threatened because they dont fight it off like they do the other roosters. I think that is because they know this chicken is infertile.
Makes for some interresting conversations at least. LOL.
I know this may be stretch but I wonder if this could be more common now because we feed them so much soy? I would think it would be the other way around but for sure mess with hormones.
The phytoestrogens in soy disrupt endocrine function.
Adding this so I can follow this thread...
I have a strange Cochin. When she was young, she had three fluffy stripes and, when fully feathered, her saddle and hackle feathers were very round, signaling a pullet. Now, her feathers are pointy and she crows in the morning, but otherwise behaves like a hen. The young roosters we have are more aggressive than she is -- they peck and try mounting the pack's only hen, but Triple fights her friends and chases the roosters away. She dustbathes too. Roosters don't dustbathe. Hens don't crow. Triple also only ever crows at 6-7 o'clock in the morning, and answers the white half-Bantam, Iyra. The first time she did it, I thought she was mimicking the cockerels, only chicks then, but now she sounds like a fully-grown Cochin rooster. She doesn't struggle when I hold her, and she doesn't have any spurs, (the two half-Bantam cockerels already have small spurs), but she really sounds rooster-y all of a sudden. I think she is a true hermaphrodite chicken. I'm curious to see if we will have four eggs or five per day When Triple and her three best friends grow up.
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