This is probably in the wrong place. But it doesn't fit the "Emergency" category because it's not a sickness, injury or emergency. It's just a puzzlement!
We have an EE named Gladys. Oh, she's a beauty - all golden red colored and the prettiest chicken in the flock - until this last molt. <sigh> Gladys isn't Gladys anymore. She's very dark now, and I've been watching this change occur with mounting horror! No, I haven't lost the real Gladys and confused Carbuncle with her. Carbuncle was one of the EE "twins" and we gave the other twin to my brother (700 miles away) because I couldn't tell them apart. So thereis was only one golden chicken and one Carbuncle.
Now it's getting harder and harder to tell Gladys from Carbuncle - it's almost like having the twins back!! We let them out the other day and I panicked when we put them back in because I counted 21 chickens over and over again, but didn't see Gladys. I only have 21 chickens. Today I paid more attention when we let them out and I have two chickens almost the same color, and no lovely golden red one. Guess I was seeing Gladys when I'd go out there - it's not unusual at all to have some in the coop and some in the run - but thought it was Carbuncle, not specifically noticing the absence of Gladys. Then I happened to see two almost identical chickens - one fully feathered and one just coming into feathers after molting, and started paying more attention. No mistake, no mix-up - Gladys has totally changed color!
Gladys
Gladys
Gladys before the molt. She did a light molt her first year, but she sure didn't change color like she has this last time.
Going by the fact shes' just finishing her molt,and the amount of red on her breast, I think the one facing me is Gladys and the one looking away is Carbuncle.
Gladys?
Carbuncle?
I'm so confused!!!
So that means in the shot of them together, the one more toward the back must be Gladys, although I confess that when I see them together I'm hard pressed to know for sure.
Oh, phooey - I ain't even sure anymore which is which! I just know my beautiful golden girl is no more and the twins are back. So questions.........
Natural occurrence or relatively unusual?
Short days and no supplemental light during the molt a contributing factor? (I know, I know, not likely but I'm desperate here!)
Diet change? I feed an All Flock with 18% protein, meat scraps, veggies, and hard boiled egg with the shells. Once every couple of weeks they get suet hung in suet cage. Treats are kept to a minimum, and never fed every day.
Anything I can do to get her color back the next molt? Feather Fixer? Hair dye? Help!!
We have an EE named Gladys. Oh, she's a beauty - all golden red colored and the prettiest chicken in the flock - until this last molt. <sigh> Gladys isn't Gladys anymore. She's very dark now, and I've been watching this change occur with mounting horror! No, I haven't lost the real Gladys and confused Carbuncle with her. Carbuncle was one of the EE "twins" and we gave the other twin to my brother (700 miles away) because I couldn't tell them apart. So there
Now it's getting harder and harder to tell Gladys from Carbuncle - it's almost like having the twins back!! We let them out the other day and I panicked when we put them back in because I counted 21 chickens over and over again, but didn't see Gladys. I only have 21 chickens. Today I paid more attention when we let them out and I have two chickens almost the same color, and no lovely golden red one. Guess I was seeing Gladys when I'd go out there - it's not unusual at all to have some in the coop and some in the run - but thought it was Carbuncle, not specifically noticing the absence of Gladys. Then I happened to see two almost identical chickens - one fully feathered and one just coming into feathers after molting, and started paying more attention. No mistake, no mix-up - Gladys has totally changed color!
Gladys
Gladys
Gladys before the molt. She did a light molt her first year, but she sure didn't change color like she has this last time.
Going by the fact shes' just finishing her molt,and the amount of red on her breast, I think the one facing me is Gladys and the one looking away is Carbuncle.
Gladys?
Carbuncle?
I'm so confused!!!
So that means in the shot of them together, the one more toward the back must be Gladys, although I confess that when I see them together I'm hard pressed to know for sure.
Oh, phooey - I ain't even sure anymore which is which! I just know my beautiful golden girl is no more and the twins are back. So questions.........
Natural occurrence or relatively unusual?
Short days and no supplemental light during the molt a contributing factor? (I know, I know, not likely but I'm desperate here!)
Diet change? I feed an All Flock with 18% protein, meat scraps, veggies, and hard boiled egg with the shells. Once every couple of weeks they get suet hung in suet cage. Treats are kept to a minimum, and never fed every day.
Anything I can do to get her color back the next molt? Feather Fixer? Hair dye? Help!!
