A CAMBRIDGE woman has discovered the chicken equivalent of Lady Gaga after studying one of her hens and realising she might have a secret cock on her hands.
Jeanette Howard raised a suspicious eyebrow when egg-laying Gertie the hen suddenly sprouted a red comb and chin wattle – and started crowing at dawn. When the hen then started ripping off old Madonna songs and wearing meat dresses she knew something was up.
“I bought three chickens a year ago and they were all laying eggs for me until the end of the year,” said Jeanette. “Then one day I heard this crowing noise and I thought ‘Where’s that coming from?’ I looked into the garden at Gertie and I saw it was coming from her… or him.”
She has since been reassured by vets that the hen is fine – but that damage to her ovaries could have caused Gertie to develop male characteristics.
Experts say sex changes can affect one in 10,000 animals. Like Clare Balding.
