[Jomtie]

The saga of my copper black Tilly continues. She's the one that stopped laying about a year ago and then suddenly started again a couple of months ago. Well, while she was going through her 'not laying' period she started to grow spurs. These are now quite big and very sharp! She's still laying about 5 eggs a week BUT she has recently started trying to crow!! It's not quite a full crow but definitely a 'cock-a-doodle-doo' is being attempted. Is she just confused??   

[barley]

very confused !!!!

[Sassy]

It is rare but this can happen!

[Madame Cholet]

a bisexual hen why not?

[mumofstig]

It's usually due to damaged ovaries, which would explain the stop start laying. Read this old thread

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=68503.msg783622#msg783622

[8doubles]

I had a golden pheasant hen which changed to cock colour feathers. A gamekeeper i knew said it was not uncommon and was referred to as "going mule".

[upert]

I have a female columbian blacktail who has started developing spurs too.

[nnbreeder]

 A lot of times a dominant hen will take the place of the absent rooster and even "mate" with the other hens. Years ago I bought a flock of Madagascar Games and all of the hens had spurs but only on one leg. The English Games that I had at one time all of the hens had spurs, they were small, straight and sharp like a Cactus spine and since I free-ranged them I didn't trim them. They could send ferel cats and even most stray dogs packing in short order.

[joyfull]

One of my old girls has very big spurs and still laid eggs (well up until last year - I dont think she has laid this year so far)