That’s new to me

[snoozlecracker]

Learned folk,

Whilst feeding and checking pens this afternoon. I happened upon a strange and mysterious creature.
I’m very new to this raising game birds lark, and before me was a hen (they’re 15 weeks old) in lovely condition. She/they was a full hen in the correct colours bar her/them tail feathers which were that of a cock bird.
Is that common/uncommon? No photo presently as phone was in the mule.

Cheers
T.

 

[Goingback]

A mule/hermaphrodite - I usually get two or three a season. They will slowly change colour into full cockbird colours along with spurs

 

[Dunwaters]

Pity its not so simple with humans.

 

[VSS]

Pity its not so simple with humans.

But it does illustrate that sexual anomalies do occur naturally. They're not "all in the mind".

 

[camodog]

In the poultry business around here as a boy, they were know as 'Margaret-Henrys'. Not particularly unusual.

 

[roebuck220]

Jenny Willox, used to get a few each year

 

[Dunwaters]

But it does illustrate that sexual anomalies do occur naturally. They're not "all in the mind".

I never had a problem with anomalies, until the anomalies began to insist that their belief that they were whatever they believed that they were trumped the science that said they weren’t, and they demanded that the rest of us complied with their belief, despite the science.

 

[Hambone]

But it does illustrate that sexual anomalies do occur naturally. They're not "all in the mind".

This is true but it does not give any individual or group an excuse to push these anomality's as the norm.

 

[VSS]

I never had a problem with anomalies, until the anomalies began to insist that their belief that they were whatever they believed that they were trumped the science that said they weren’t, and they demanded that the rest of us complied with their belief, despite the science.

You missed my point completely.

 

[Smellydog]

But it does illustrate that sexual anomalies do occur naturally. They're not "all in the mind".

You getting your err spurs trimmed mate?

 

[Smellydog]

Not unusual.
My old keeper friend told me if a hen lives old enough it will morph back to male.
He told as I shot a hen many years ago obviously with some cock bird features.

 

[Smellydog]

No reflection on human freaks, with humans one just counts their chromosomes and tell them to stop being stupid.

 

[Camdig]

But it does illustrate that sexual anomalies do occur naturally. They're not "all in the mind".

Its hardly natural occurrence when hundreds of millions of pheasants are commercially hatched and reared, same with poultry.

 

[BenBhoy]

Its hardly natural occurrence

But the few that it has happened to its happened naturally, no?

 

[Camdig]

But the few that it has happened to its happened naturally, no?

I dont think so, humans have manipulated pheasants for a very long time not just with selective breeding but unnatural feeding/medication.
If anything it shows how rare a condition he/she's are with hundreds of millions being bred and only a handful of examples.
Now an Antlered doe might be a better example as a natural phenomenon.

 

[snoozlecracker]

But the few that it has happened to its happened naturally, no?

Every days a school day on this venture!
But as @Camdig says and I’d echo. I would believe this to be an outcome due to breeding and human manipulation of a species.
Point to note, that I intended no malice in relation to the they/them.
Just seems to be the current human trend.
It was purely down to the birds that I am tasked with safeguarding and whether it needed more observation or just a freak of nature event.

T.

 

[Goingback]

I dont think so, humans have manipulated pheasants for a very long time not just with selective breeding but unnatural feeding/medication.
If anything it shows how rare a condition he/she's are with hundreds of millions being bred and only a handful of examples.
Now an Antlered doe might be a better example as a natural phenomenon.

Not really hundreds of millions with a handful of examples. In my experience I would put it at one or two per thousand. Pheasants less manipulated by human breeding than many, many other breeds for consumption; with 'unnatural' feeding/medication applied to stock

 

[Camdig]

Not really hundreds of millions with a handful of examples. In my experience I would put it at one or two per thousand. Pheasants less manipulated by human breeding than many, many other breeds for consumption; with 'unnatural' feeding/medication applied to stock

Britain roughly rears 60 million a year add in the rest of Europe and you will be in the hundreds of millions.
When I was typing that reply I couldn't help but think I was describing the human population, crap food and highly medicated!
When I worked on a game farm from laying pens to poults to wood we would hatch 80k pheasants you would be lucky if you saw two he/she's.

 

[Goingback]

Britain roughly rears 60 million a year add in the rest of Europe and you will be in the hundreds of millions.
When I was typing that reply I couldn't help but think I was describing the human population, crap food and highly medicated!
When I worked on a game farm from laying pens to poults to wood we would hatch 80k pheasants you would be lucky if you saw two he/she's.

Poults to wood do not show the morph from hen to cock. It is from about 14 weeks that they start to show a change, so well beyond the gamefarm

 

[Camdig]

Poults to wood do not show the morph from hen to cock. It is from about 14 weeks that they start to show a change, so well beyond the gamefarm

We put 25k to wood for let days and sold 55k, how many examples have you came across in duck or grouse?