Blue orp roo with brown feathers on his back???**Update with PICS**

[Sugar Sand Farm]

It could be old feathers he may be getting ready to molt. I have 2 blue roosters that have some blue in their feathers suddenly. I know these are excellent show quality birds with no red leakage or mix in them. We live in Florida and they get their feathers sunburnt when the feathers are old. They should disappear when he molts. I raised one of my roosters from a chick. He was always a dark dark blue until lately you can see some of the brown coming through. I asked around and was assured it was old feathers give him some time you maybe pleasantly surprised.

 

[Goose and Fig]

Yeah- that doesn't look like leakage. It looks like he's sunned a little too much and ready to molt. My blue cochin hen has some feathers like that. I don't know if it applies to blues- but maybe keep corn to a minimum and see if he stays blue longer next year. He should be fine for a breeder.

 

[Katy]

Sometimes blue birds will get that color from being out in the sun. I've had roos that looked like that but when they molted the new feathers came in blue again. Has this just showed up or has he always had that coloring? It doesn't look like red leaking thru to me.

oops....a couple other people already said the same thing.

 

[Egg_newton]

I had never noticed it before yesterday. I will look and see if I can find some older pics of him.

 

[scbatz33]

I had a really nice blue roo who was blue til he spent the summer out in the sun. It gave him the same kind of brown/red feathers.
here's a not so great photo of him.

 

[speckledhen]

My Suede turns very brassy at the end of his feather cycle. They come back in nice and blue, though.

 

[kathyinmo]

So, I have heard it can be caused by 3 things:
1. the sun
2. old feathers
3. corn in the diet

Are all of these correct? This raises another question, also...
If you show your birds, is this a DQ ?

 

[Cetawin]

That is just brassiness...when he molts he will be beautiful blue again...the sun does that...sort of like it does to pulls red tones in brunettes.

 

[Egg_newton]

I don't know about the amount of corn in the layer feed but I do give them cracked corn once a week or so as a treat. I'm gonna have to check the ingredients in the layer feed... I don't give food with corn to my dogs and cats. I didn't know it was a no-no for chickens too.