Aligall Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 Hello Everyone, This is my first post on here but I wanted to share my news!! I had a blue Cochin pullet, she is 8 months old. She had laid one normal egg, then one day I found two extra large sacks on the floor of the coop. There was no shells but these would have been enormous eggs. Because I see her everyday I had not noticed the changes taking place. Then two weeks ago while cleaning out a separate silkie coop at the top of the garden I distinctly heard a crowing from the bantam run!! I watched when I could from the house and saw her treading a hen. But then we had another very large egg, does not fit in the egg box!! (she is a very large bird). So I did some research and found pictures and sure enough she know looks like a cock, wattles, comb, saddle back etc. I decided to put some of the eggs in the incubator, at 10 days yesterday I candelled them and 7 out of 10 are quite clearly fertile, with 1 maybe. So I have a he/she lays around one egg a week always double yolk, but also able to fertalize the eggs from the other hens. I find this amazing, facinating and unbelievable I have read it can happen to 1 in 10,000 but cannot find anywhere whether their he/she are laying as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 I know birds can change sex, and its relatively common for a hen to tread and take on cockeralish tendencies in the absence of a cockeral, but I've never heard of a hermaphrodite. I don't know whether to say congratulations or aaahhhh I suppose you are absolutely sure none of the other birds is a cockeral? Keep us posted on how your eggs progress! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 Its possible as far as I know but is virtually unheard of There is normally a more obvious explanation, if the eggs are double yolkers and bigger than normal is it possible that another hen is laying these and you just dont recognise them? I'd maybe pen the Cochin on his/her own for a week or so just to clear up the mystery, if she is genuinely two sexes then the case may be of interest to those who study poultry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aligall Posted January 8, 2012 Author Share Posted January 8, 2012 The reason I believe the huge eggs to be hers are because I have collected eggs in late morning as usual. Most days I have a white sussex egg, a blubelle egg and a white star egg, every other day a black x lays but her eggs are distinctive from the others as the are a greenish colour. If the huge egg is not from Blue then that would mean one of the other has laid twice in a 8 hour window Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mum Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 How every exciting!!!! I agree with Redwing, your s/he would be of much interest to those who study poultry and all of us who don't study, just keep, poultry! Nature has some bizarre twists and turns, so I'm not completely surprised that this could happen wonder if when s/he was an egg, it was a double yolker which melded together? I have heard of mothers whose child does not appear to share their DNA and tests indicated that the child began as a twin and the embryo's "melded" together so that the resulting child, although not a hermaphradite, shared both male and female DNA. Fascinating stuff! I like the idea of keeping her seperate for a week, just as a monitor/evidence so when you have 100% documented/recorded evidence ... cash in! In the meantime, enjoy those double-yolkers and I hope s/he doesn't disturb your neighbours with the crowing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scubababe Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 oher how strange. Oooo keep us posted this sounds fascinating. At the end of the day it happens in humans so why not chickens? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Chick Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 I will keep an eye on this thread with interest.... The fact that eggs have candled fertile is to me! I don't know where I stand on that as a concept, I have heard of hens treading other hens from dominance (I have one of those myself ) but the fact that she lays eggs.... And fertilises others eggs Keep us posted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aligall Posted January 8, 2012 Author Share Posted January 8, 2012 I am trying to figure out a way of seperating her from the others without causing her to much distress. Because I did not realise how big she was going to be I never got an isolation coop that she could even get through the door of!! Sorry, I know I am referring to her as she but to me I cannot help it. I raised this hen from the egg, only two Cochins hatched, both female but unfortunatley we lost Splash 6 weeks ago very suddendly. Blue was most definately a pullet and has changed gradually over the last 2 months in appearance and oh yes the crowing. Fortunatley she does'nt do it to often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 If you post a link to a picture of her it would be useful Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aligall Posted January 8, 2012 Author Share Posted January 8, 2012 By the way Blue is not a dominant hen, far from it, she was at the bottom of the pecking order. (couldnt resist that pun) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aligall Posted January 8, 2012 Author Share Posted January 8, 2012 I will phograph her tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosey Supposey Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 Wow!! This is amazing stuff! Looking forward to the pics! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 I'd be interested to see what she looks like - dissertation ideas anyone? I'd guess she was just a late maturing cockerel who is now treading the others which are the fertile eggs. If you could separate him/her to prove it is her laying... Do you not have any other cockerels? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 Very interesting; I have heard of hens changing sex before but not ones which carried on laying eggs as well. Might be worth isolating her as Redwing suggests. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aligall Posted January 9, 2012 Author Share Posted January 9, 2012 I am concerned about moving Blue as I know if you change their living quarters ect there is a chance she may no lay for a while so I looking into the cost of getting a motion dectector 'nanny camera' for in the coop. Because lets face it I need hard evidence of what is occuring. I had notice about 6 weeks ago that she seemed to have grown and my husband said he thought maybe she was unwell as she was making funny noises and she might have a sore throat/cold. What had happened is her voice had dropped!! It is only 2 weeks tomorrow since we first heard her crow and she didnt quite get it right at the beginning as per. For the first week we only heard her on a couple of occasions but the frequency of her crowing has increased dramtically over the last few days and this morning she was crowing in the coop before I opened the door. I have spent many hours researching this and had found that 1 in 10,000 can change sex due to damage to the ovary, which then starts changing to become a testes instead. In some rare cases the change is not complete and they are left with part ovary part testes and can fertalize eggs. Will post link to photographs of Blue this evening when my daughter returns from work to show me how! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 I think you need to separate him/her for few weeks or so just so you can be sure about the eggs being laid with hard evidence rather that guessing from a camera. If s/he can still see the others its not too stressful and shouldn't stop laying, if she is a she! You can upload photos to ImageShack.us and post the links to here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 How old is she? could it be you are mistaken about her laying? Sorry just noticed you said 8 months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aligall Posted January 10, 2012 Author Share Posted January 10, 2012 (edited) Links for photographs Edited January 10, 2012 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 I'd say that is a cockerel. The wattles are very pronounced and the sweeping saddle feathers and the beginnings of a lavish tail are massive clues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 That looks like a boy to me..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minnie&Moose Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 I don't know what a cochin cockeral is supposed to look like but your bird looks nothing like our blue cochin hen - the colouring's very different as is the feathering. Our bird, Magda, is smokey blue grey all over, with the colour becoming darker on her neck and head, and she has hugely feathered legs and feet, a small neat comb and relatively small wattles. Magda is definitely female - she's either broody or laying eggs so no mistaking her sex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Yes, I noticed the lack of foot feathers. Looks a bit like a fluffy Bluebell cock bird to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodinparts Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 (edited) For the other perspective, someone on twitter just linked to this - an Italian cockerel who has started laying after his girls fell prey to Mr Fox Nature is quite amazing! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1267691/Gianni-gender-bending-rooster-starts-lay-eggs.html Edited January 10, 2012 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Chick Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Fascinating story Goodinparts, and proof of the wonderful tapestry that is life Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
