Hen developed odd white feathers

[fatsGREENgarden]

Curious if others have seen their chickens develop feathers of a different color? Our Hershey girl is about a year old and has basically all brown feathers until these new cool looking grey-white feathers. She is a year old.

 

[MROO]

Curious if others have seen their chickens develop feathers of a different color? Our Hershey girl is about a year old and has basically all brown feathers until these new cool looking grey-white feathers. She is a year old.

What breed is she? Lots of birds develop odd feathering as they get older - some pretty dramatically. The "production breeds" (like the egg-layer crosses available at feed stores) often surprise us with an odd feather or two here and there.

 

[fatsGREENgarden]

What breed is she? Lots of birds develop odd feathering as they get older - some pretty dramatically. The "production breeds" (like the egg-layer crosses available at feed stores) often surprise us with an odd feather or two here and there.

She’s a mix. Of what I’m not sure.
Weren’t sure if it’s normal or not.

 

[BY Bob]

My Phyllis is doing this. She has just started molting but previously to it her feathers started turning white at the tips. Now her head feathers do this naturally. But now her wing and tail feathers are doing it.

Phyllis

Wing feather

That is not some lighting artifact on her feather. It is white on the end.

 

[MROO]

She’s a mix. Of what I’m not sure.
Weren’t sure if it’s normal or not.

She's a pretty lady! She has a pretty varied color pattern, so my guess is that the silvered feathers are normal. Some of the speckled varieties actually get more silver with each molt, so you may well end up with a striking looking older gal! As long as she's eating well, acting normally and her "through-put" is okay, she's likely just fine. Enjoy her!

My Phyllis is doing this. She has just started molting but previously to it her feathers started turning white at the tips. Now her head feathers do this naturally. But now her wing and tail feathers are doing it.

Phyllis
View attachment 2800384

Wing feather

View attachment 2800385

That is not some lighting artifact on her feather. It is white on the end.

YOU may think she's off standard ... but I think she's gorgeous, just as she is!

 

[BY Bob]

She's a pretty lady! She has a pretty varied color pattern, so my guess is that the silvered feathers are normal. Some of the speckled varieties actually get more silver with each molt, so you may well end up with a striking looking older gal! As long as she's eating well, acting normally and her "through-put" is okay, she's likely just fine. Enjoy her!

YOU may think she's off standard ... but I think she's gorgeous, just as she is!

I'm not worried about off standard because she is an exceptional hen. I'm just worried about stress making her grey before her time!

 

[MROO]

I'm not worried about off standard because she is an exceptional hen. I'm just worried about stress making her grey before her time!

View attachment 2801130

Don't be silly. I have it on good authority (mine!) that those feathers/hairs/etc. are NOT grey. They are ARCTIC BLONDE!

So, those moments when things just don't come up to par? They're not SENIOR moments ... they're BLONDE moments.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!