How Poultry Keepers Can Tell Whether a Rooster-Like Hen Still Lays Eggs
German farming outlet agrarheute explains how poultry keepers can use a simple hands-on check to see whether a hen with rooster-like traits still lays eggs. Such traits can stem from hormonal changes or a rare genetic condition.
Poultry keepers, both professional and hobby, sometimes find a hen that looks like a rooster: it has a large red comb, noticeable spur growths on its legs, and may even start to crow hoarsely. German farming publication agrarheute explains that in practice the key question is not the bird's sex but whether it still lays eggs.
Why a hen can start to look like a rooster
Male-looking traits do not mean a real sex change. In older hens the normally active ovary can shrink, which causes hormonal changes and allows features typical of roosters to develop.
Another cause may lie in embryonic development. The term gynandromorphism describes a condition in which one bird's body contains both male and female cells. Such animals may look different on the left and right sides or have unusual feather patterns. These outward features say little about whether the bird lays eggs.
The laying-bone test
Poultry keepers have used this method for generations. It involves feeling the rear ends of the pelvic (sitting) bones, which can be felt on both sides above the cloaca. The keeper holds the hen calmly and carefully reaches under the belly from behind toward the cloaca with one hand.
- A gap of two to three finger widths points to a widened laying canal and active laying.
- About one finger width, with bones that feel rigid, suggests the hen is currently not laying or has stopped for good.
There is no scientifically established accuracy rate for this test.
Checking the cloaca
In an actively laying hen the cloaca is usually larger, wider and moist. In roosters and non-laying hens it is typically smaller, rounder and dry. Combining both checks gives a better assessment than looking at comb, plumage or spurs alone.
Can a gynandromorph hen lay eggs?
Yes, if a functioning ovary develops. Hens normally develop only the left ovary fully. If the left half of the body consists of female cells, eggs are possible. If the female cells are on the right side, the bird is infertile. Such animals are very rare, and no reliable figure for how often they occur can be given.
