My jake laid an egg???

[UrbanviewFarm]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthogenesis#Birds

idk but female turkeys can make males from un fertilized eggs

 

Seriously!? I'll be watching this thread for updates, would sure like a definite answer to this!

The turkey pen does have a cover on the top, correct?:/

 

[frank53061]

I think something like this happened in the Jurassic Park Movie life will find a way ----------------Just making a joke --------------LOL

 

[Celie]

Quite a few years ago, scientist did an experiment on thousands of female turkeys to see if a turkey could produce a fertile egg without sperm, like a female tree frog can, in the absence of a male. After a very extensive trial, a scientist said he did and the result was a male would always hatch out. Never has this happened with a male and an egg, but just like animals and people being born with both male and female parts, your turkey could be born with male parts on the outside and female parts on the inside. Very rare, but possible. Or you can have a very BUTCH looking turkey hen, or you can have one intelligent friend that "GOTCHA" this time! I would love to find out if the egg is fertile and hatches? Please keep up informed when the egg hatches. You did set the egg, didn't you?

 

[Celie]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthogenesis#Birds

idk but female turkeys can make males from un fertilized eggs

^ Savage, Thomas F. (September 12, 2005). "A Guide to the Recognition of Parthenogenesis in Incubated Turkey Eggs". Oregon State University. http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/ans-tparth/index.html. Retrieved 2006–10–11.
Female turkeys have very rarely reproduced without male sperm, but a male turkey has never ever laid an egg!!! This would be a first and would have to have Overies and the rest of the female plumbing on the inside. If a turkey laid an egg and is female, other eggs should follow. Has SHE?HE laid any more eggs? If not SOMEBODY 'GOTCHA" for sure !

 

[Frosty]

Hmmm... I found this:

http://sciencefocus.com/qa/can-chickens-really-change-gender

Can chickens really change gender?

WILLIAM SPURR, COLCHESTER
It depends on how you define gender. The chromosomes that normally control the physical differences between male and female are fixed at the moment of fertilisation and cannot change. But the sex chromosomes work by coding for enzymes that affect the bird’s development in the egg and during its life. These enzymes are sensitive to temperature and if eggs fertilised with male chromosomes are cooled by a few degrees for three days after laying, the relative activity of the sex hormones will favour development of female characteristics. (In reptiles, temperature is entirely responsible for determining sex.) In about 10 per cent of cases, this cooling will produce a chicken with a fully functioning and reproductively fertile female body-type; even though the chicken is genetically male.

 

[erinszoo]

Well, I guess I opened myself up for that, for posting something that sounds so ridiculous! I am a novice to raising tame turkeys, but I am not a novice to turkeys in general. My family are all outdoorsmen and in the taxidermy business, and we have raised chickens, hogs, cattle & horses all of our lives, so we are very familiar with many animals. All I can tell you is that both my turkeys gobble, their heads turn red, and one of them laid an egg. I guess anything's possible.. By the way, inasmuch as you may think I sound like an idiot, I am not, nor am I an "easy mark". I have no friends with the means nor enough imagination to play this type of trick on me. But, thanks for your input. I'll just wait to see what happens...

I don't think you're ridiculous but I would like to see pics of your turkeys. We raise white hollands and we have one "honest" tom turkey and 5 females ... however there are days when we would swear up and down that two of our females are actually male. They strut, they gobble, they turn colors, they even spar with one another and have small beards ... but they are female turkeys.

 

[Narragansett]

There's a lot of gender identity confusion going on here. Parthenogenesis and hermaphroditism are not the same thing as what's being discussed here. Male or male appearing birds which result from either abnormality, still cannot lay an egg. It is physically impossible.

 

[theGrizzFan]

About ten years ago my cousin was turkey hunting and got what he thought was a jake. It had spurs and a beard, and when he opened it up it had an egg inside. I saw this myself so it isn't a story that I heard. It was during the spring season so only males were legal. Because of that he did not report it or turn it in for any kind of study, as he was afraid of being fined for taking a hen. Perhaps this is what you have, a female that just looks like a jake.

Edit: The egg was not fertile, my uncle tried to hatch it.

 

[Celie]

About ten years ago my cousin was turkey hunting and got what he thought was a jake. It had spurs and a beard, and when he opened it up it had an egg inside. I saw this myself so it isn't a story that I heard. It was during the spring season so only males were legal. Because of that he did not report it or turn it in for any kind of study, as he was afraid of being fined for taking a hen. Perhaps this is what you have, a female that just looks like a jake.

Edit: The egg was not fertile, my uncle tried to hatch it.

If dhe laid one, there will be more. Just give her a few more days. Female turkeys strut when they are young. The females can have beards, but they won't get as long as the male's (Gobbler's) beard. A Turkey's sex is very hard to determine until they are Adults and is the most asked question on the Turkey Forum, I've noticed. So if she lays another egg, which might not be until Spring, congradulations, you have a pair! Or you could have 2 females? If you had some pictures, someone may be able to be more helpful. Maybe it's why turkey poults are sold straight run, even breeders have trouble telling when they are young!

 

[Celie]

I was just wondering if your turkey laid any more eggs, foet227 ?