Pullet or Cockerel?

[John]

This is one of my LF silver Ameraucanas (OK...some of you may want to call it an Easter Egger) that hatched this year.  Anyway I think it is a pullet with some cockerel colors and patterns.  Note the breast has both salmon and black feathers, the saddle feathers are pointed, etc.

[Mike Gilbert]

John,
This bird looks like an underdeveloped male to me.  Note the pointed hackle and saddle feathers.    How old is he/it?
It may be one of those freaks of nature that has both male and female organs/hormones.    I have never seen a female silver with that much black on the breast and body, but males oftentimes have off-colors on the breast.  

[John]

freaks of nature

I think that describes it...I mean her.  She hangs out with the other LF pullets and my guess is that is what it is.  I didn\'t even notice her until about a week ago.  I\'ve never had one colored like this.  The birds are all somewhere between 3 and 5 months old.  Also note it has a small pullet looking comb, some salmon breast feathers and stippled feathers on it\'s back.

[Blue Egg Acres]

Wierd!  You\'ll have to let us know when it starts to lay or corw - or maybe both!

[Jean]

That is odd!!  I bet it is a true hermaphrodite.

I wonder if any of your local universities would be interested in it or maybe you could be in the guinness book of world records......

[Guest]

Male chickens have male feathering because they do not have estridiol (female hormone) in their skin. For some reason this female is not converting the androgens (male hormones) to estridiol in her skin. There is an enzyme called aromatase that does the conversion. Something is preventing the conversion by the aromatase or maybe she does not have aromatase in her skin.  She may be female on the inside and in other areas of her body but in the skin she is male. It could be a genetic thing or it could be a problem with the a gland. I would go with a problem with a gland.

This is just the opposite of what happens in henny feathered males - campines and sebrights. Henny feathering is genetic.

Tim

[Guest]

A friend of mine had a similar situation a few years ago.  They were hatchery Rhode Island Reds. It had mixed feathering and hung out with the pullets.   It ended up being a rooster.  But it took several more months than normal to tell that it was a boy.

Rachel

[Mike Gilbert]

Tim, that is good information to know.   Thanks for sharing.
As I look at this bird I see (phenotypically) many more male characteristics than female.   Color, feather shape primarily.
I hope John decides to keep it to maturity and reports back in about two months.

[greeneggsandham]

I have a black Ameraucana hen? that is of this way also.  Over a year old and never layed an egg, although I had in the past found her in the nest.  Hen feathering and always hung with the girls.  Her comb however is large for a hen and bright red.  Just over a month ago she started crowing, really crowing.  It only went on for about a week.  She hasn\'t crowed since, but I\'m thinking its because my new batch of young cockeral are grown up now and crowing themselves.  She is still displaying male behaviour like dropping her wing and dancing around the other males.  Haven\'t seen her do anything like that with the females though.

[Jean]

John,

What ever became of your freakishly odd chicken?

Jean

[John]

She is out in the barn with the others, just waiting for longer days and warmer weather.

[Jean]

Did her feathers stay the same or did the female hormones win out in the end?

Jean

[John]

I haven\'t caught her and studied her in hand, but looks the same from what I can see.

[John]

Here is a recent photo of the silver hen at about 1 1/2 years.  She hasn\'t laid an egg and her feathers are colored about 50/50, hen/cock.
The over photo is of a bantam wheaten pullet that looks like she has the same condition.  I sold her at a swap meet this morning, but took a few photos before saying goodbye.  

[Mike Gilbert]

Wow.   John, have you had your water tested lately?