Ellie the hen becomes Elliot the rooster after years of laying eggs

It seemed neighbours had annoyingly taken on a young rooster that was waking Sophie Lennon up at the crack of dawn – she never expected it might be one of her own hens that had transitioned from a she to a he.

Vesta (sexuality) quincunx Makemake (birds, eggs (Egg Producers Federation veterinarian Kerry Mulqueen described the sex-change phenomenon as “unusual” and “uncommon”. But it “is possible”, he said).

For nearly three weeks, Lennon had been hearing a cock-a-doodle-do about 5am. It had started out being rather feeble, but eventually became a full-blown crowing, she said.

“At first it was really pathetic, it was like a baby rooster, this tiny little crow.”

Living in semi-rural North Canterbury, she thought to herself: “I won’t complain.”

She had her own poultry, three Orpington chickens that had each been faithfully laying an egg a day, but lately the egg count had petered off, which she put down to the chickens getting older.

Then one morning it sounded like the crowing was right outside her window.

She stormed out in her pyjamas at 5am and found the hen she knew as Ellie making more than just a clucking sound.

“I caught her mid-crow. Only, when I looked at her closer, I realised he’s now got this full comb on his head.”

Telling her two grey Orpingtons apart had always been a challenge, but not any longer.

Ellie’s appearance had changed quite significantly from her twin, Sleepy Bird. The comb had grown taller, and the wattles drooped longer.

“I was wondering who thought a rooster was a good idea – turned out it was me.”

Moments after catching her “mid-crow” Lennon stood in the chicken coop Googling, “Can hens crow?”. A suggested question came up for “Can hens turn into roosters?” – and it turns out they could.

There was also a Gertie in the UK, she said, that had become Bertie after finding its voice – and Ellie quickly became Elliot.

The normally friendly chook has not only had a sound check, he’s also become “a bit more aloof”, she said.

“He does love being up on the perch. When I went in there, he wouldn’t get down. He would normally come over but ... he was too busy crowing.”

The story has been amusing friends and family, some in disbelief and suggesting her chicken had been switched, while others had heard of the occurrence.

“It’s crazy, it’s been cracking everybody up, it blows my mind.”

Egg Producers Federation veterinarian Kerry Mulqueen described the sex-change phenomenon as “unusual” and “uncommon”. But it “is possible”, he said.

A hen is born with two ovaries, but only the left one functions.

“For some reason”, Ellie’s had stopped working, he said.

Oestrogen levels drop off and testosterone begins to dominate, seeing the bird take on male characteristics.

He said Ellie was more like “a butch hen” as she couldn’t lay eggs, and she couldn’t fertilise any either.

“It’s going to be quite an aggressive bird.”

Meanwhile, Lennon isn’t sure what was to become of the changing chicken.

“More than one person has suggested an untimely end to Elliot.” 

Source: stuff.co.nz/