genetic

[DylansMom]

Thanks MinxFox, I hadn't thought of it that way, I assumed that when they molt that all the feathers were replaced in a short amount of time but I see your point. I seem to remember that I read here somewhere that they actually take a long time to replace their wing feathers, after all how could they escape predation if all their wing feathers dropped at once. I really like the effect of the multi colored dappling I see now on my Cameos.

I think Minx is correct about the dappling you are seeing. My purples look that way as well.


This is just a mix of old and new feathers. As for the molting, Peas don't go thru nearly as hard a molt as some chickens do, usually mine just look a bit rough, but no bald spots unless someone is feather picking. They will shed body feathers and the train during molting, wing feathers are shed randomly throughout the year with a slight increase during molting. I collect feathers all year long, but from Jan. thru June wings are about all I find unless a juvenile is going thru an oddly timed molt. All birds molt and I doubt any of the flying varieties will molt wings to the point where they can't fly, mother nature is too smart for that.

 

[KsKingBee]

You guys are the best.

I had assumed that the molting was over as I haven't been seeing the feathers laying about like I was. This is my first year with Cameos so I am learning a lot. I was thinking/hoping that the visual effect was going to be the norm but it sounds like they will be changing even more for another couple of months. So if I am looking for signs of White Eye I should wait until January when molting of body feathers is done.

Mindy, without looking at the neck and head of your Purple hen it looks exactly like my Cameos. Do you find that your chicks are darker than the adults?

 

[DylansMom]

You guys are the best.

I had assumed that the molting was over as I haven't been seeing the feathers laying about like I was. This is my first year with Cameos so I am learning a lot. I was thinking/hoping that the visual effect was going to be the norm but it sounds like they will be changing even more for another couple of months. So if I am looking for signs of White Eye I should wait until January when molting of body feathers is done.

Mindy, without looking at the neck and head of your Purple hen it looks exactly like my Cameos. Do you find that your chicks are darker than the adults?

I don't think my purples are darker as chicks than they are as adults, but they are different in color. As chicks they looked like IB but the brown was more of a reddish brown with darker stripes. Cameos that I have seen as chicks were also a more reddish brown only a shade lighter and they had no darker stripes....you could see stripes barely, but they were actually lighter than the background color. My Opal is striped the same way, with a lighter stripe on a slightly darker background. Now my purples are a more gray/brown color as chicks I would call it red/brown. The 2 purples are in the front.




One of the Purples now.

 

[Rosa moschata]

All birds molt and I doubt any of the flying varieties will molt wings to the point where they can't fly, mother nature is too smart for that.

Actually, waterfowl molt all their primaries at once, and are thus unable to fly for about a month while their new feathers grow in.

 

[DylansMom]

Actually, waterfowl molt all their primaries at once, and are thus unable to fly for about a month while their new feathers grow in.

My mistake. I guess it is a good thing they can swim instead.

 

[zazouse]

Not a cameo expert at all here...I don't raise them, but my guess from seeing cameos and photos of them is what you are seeing as dappling is just old and new feathers together. Some peafowl varieties seem to show old feathers more obviously than say India Blues. The new feathers are darker while the old feathers are lighter. That is just my guess AugeredIn will probably know for sure.
As for the greyish...I am not sure if that is unusual or not...

You are correct, here is my cameo when molting same thing happens in the blues here.



Before molt when she was faded

molting

 

[Garden Peas]

Actually, waterfowl molt all their primaries at once, and are thus unable to fly for about a month while their new feathers grow in.

My mistake. I guess it is a good thing they can swim instead.

Interesting... I didn't know that either

It's a wonder they don't all end up as coyote snacks

BTW, @PeaLover130 was asking what you thought of her name suggestions?

 

[KsKingBee]

You are correct, here is my cameo when molting same thing happens in the blues here.

It is so much easier to see details in pictures than when they are trying to run away. In the top picture I can see that the light colored feathers are rough on the tips and the dark feathers are smooth. In the second the tail feathers are rough on the tips too.

 

[DylansMom]

It is so much easier to see details in pictures than when they are trying to run away. In the top picture I can see that the light colored feathers are rough on the tips and the dark feathers are smooth. In the second the tail feathers are rough on the tips too.

My Purples appear to have much darker feathers on their breast than Zaz's Cameo has. Again this could be a result of fading, but maybe you could compare chests on yours to see if SweePea is darker, than the cameos.

 

[KsKingBee]

I am going to get DW to help me take photos tomorrow. I am shooting for same lighting, distance, etc. for good comparison. I have one Cameo chick that is nearly as dark as SweePea at least one Solid color Cameo chick, but most of my Cameos have white flights or show Pied. So we will take a few of each and pick out some good ones for comparison.