Author Topic: my hen has started crowing! (Read 2517 times)

zeeteecee · « **on:** September 22, 2011, 06:52:33 am »

I have some Marans, a small flock i've had just over a year now, but in all my years of keeping chickens I've never had one change sex!
For the last few weeks one of them has crowed first thing in the morning.......! It's developed into a proper, cock a doodle type crow too, but thankfully not quite so loud.......... yet!

I read in Octobers Country smallholding that it is VERY rare but the ovary can change into a testis and the hen develops male characteristics!

Anyone else had similar or know any info?

Zarla

jaykay · « **Reply #1 on:** September 22, 2011, 08:19:48 am »

I've heard about it but never had it happen

It's not a true sex change, ie she couldn't fertilise eggs, she's just producing more testosterone than normal and therefore showing male secondary sexual characteristics ie comb, plumage and crowing. Apparently it can happens when the ovary that hens mainly use (left?) stops working for some reason and the other one takes over but that one often makes extra testosterone.

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #2 on:** September 22, 2011, 08:44:46 am »

I have had a warren-type hen behaving in a very cockerelly way - crowing just like a cock, marshalling the other hens, etc - but she continued to lay eggs throughout! I've assumed that it's natural for hens to have a leader, usually the cockerel, and if there isn't a one, one of the hens can take on the role.

northfifeduckling · « **Reply #3 on:** September 24, 2011, 12:06:17 pm »

I always hoped that one of the boys would start laying eggs - never happens!

daddymatty82 · « **Reply #4 on:** September 25, 2011, 04:34:32 pm »

my mum had a sex changed hen turned to cockeral and laid eggs plus got fertile eggs from it well got a few fertile before i sold him. not as rare as people thinks tbh i found its quite a common thing in birds if you google it it will bring up a fair few items about it .