Feathers changing?

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

My polish is 9 wks old...possibly a cockrel...either him or my blue silkie are definitely crowing each morning.
The past few days I've noticed polish feathers changing...fading, splotchy. Is this normal?
Here's pic with largest feather splotchy circled. Then I've attached a pic from couple weeks back that didn't show any...I don't think anyway.

 

[Mutchi]

Yes, it's normal.

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

Yes, it's normal.

Oh good ....thank U!!!

 

[aart]

My polish is 9 wks old...possibly a cockrel...either him or my blue silkie are definitely crowing each morning.
The past few days I've noticed polish feathers changing...fading, splotchy. Is this normal?
Here's pic with largest feather splotchy circled. Then I've attached a pic from couple weeks back that didn't show any...I don't think anyway.

The "splotchy" just looks like dirt to me.

Are you sure they are only 9 weeks, that's a lot of pointy male saddle feathers for 9 weeks old.

Chickens molt and grow a new set of feathers 2-3 times before around 6 months of age, those are called the juvenile molts.
Some pullets will have a partial molt their first fall/winter.
Most birds will have their first full adult molt their second fall/winter.

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

The "splotchy" just looks like dirt to me.

Are you sure they are only 9 weeks, that's a lot of pointy male saddle feathers for 9 weeks old.

Chickens molt and grow a new set of feathers 2-3 times before around 6 months of age, those are called the juvenile molts.
Some pullets will have a partial molt their first fall/winter.
Most birds will have their first full adult molt their second fall/winter.

When we got him from the local farmer he was in the same brooder as the silkies all same age he said. And we hadn't had any issues at all with em...this farmer had so many he was breeding it was unreal...for me anyway.
Here's a puc the day we got em and they were just a few days old then.

IMG_20210523_102936_680.jpg

• Gammas Bearded Babies
• Jun 6, 2021
• chicks polish silkie

First Day...less than wk old

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

Are you sure they are only 9 weeks, that's a lot of pointy male saddle feathers for 9 weeks old.

You think he's a cockrel too?
One of em is definitely crowing...we aren't certain it's Polish...but my husband finally heard it 3 times yesterday! Said it sounded like a dieing cat LOL. It sounds like a bazooka to me.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Yes, you might try washing that feather. You can just wet it and see if you can clean it that way. Many people use dawn dishwashing soap to wash chickens. It's possible some feathers can change when they go through a juvenile molt, actually not uncommon, but that looks like dirt to me.

I'm not sure how sharp those saddle feathers really are, that white on them might sort of distort that. But with his upright posture and body shape he looks male to me.

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

Yes, you might try washing that feather. You can just wet it and see if you can clean it that way. Many people use dawn dishwashing soap to wash chickens. It's possible some feathers can change when they go through a juvenile molt, actually not uncommon, but that looks like dirt to me.

I'm not sure how sharp those saddle feathers really are, that white on them might sort of distort that. But with his upright posture and body shape he looks male to me.

He's always been very as assertive with my silkies...he's losing feathers here n there n has been for a few weeks. Definitely new feathers coming in on em all!