Lavender hen shedding dark feather sheathing during molt?

[Fluster Cluck Acres]

This may be entirely normal and I’ve just never noticed it before. My 2 year old lavender Orpington hen, Willow, is currently molting. But instead of the normal white/grey sheathing, hers is dark. At least, I’m pretty sure that’s what it is.

I am currently working on a grass impaction in her crop, so she’s separated from the flock while they are having free range time. I put her on puppy pads so I could easily monitor her stool, and noticed all these dark flecks. I have several lavender hens and never noticed their feathers sheathing was different, but then again I don’t think I’d have noticed if it were for the white pee pad she’s on.

They’re definitely not bugs, but they are definitely coming out of her feathers. In the last pic I just put a fresh pad in and she’s already shed some.

Is this normal?

 

[Debbie292d]

I didn't put Charlotte anywhere to monitor what came off of her, but she's sure changing colors too. I was a little disappointed as she's coming in more nearly black and satin but she was quite fluffy before.

I'd have guessed at first yours was dustbathing in something that has those flecks, but that's way too much to have been stuck in her feathers so maybe you're right and that's the feather sheathing coming off.

If it doesn't hurt her, I'd check to be sure as you should be able to see that at the base of the feathers.

 

[coach723]

Lavender coloring is a recessive gene that dilutes the black coloring. There are loads of threads here on lavender orpingtons being actually mottled or splash rather than true lavender. Breeding them (the lavender gene can cause feather problems also when bred lavender to lavender) often entails mixing in black every few generations, to prevent feather problems, so there may be a genetic reason for the darker shafts. Some lavender colored breeds will have a light colored side of the feather shaft and a dark colored side of the feather shaft. Genetics make my head hurt and I am by no means good at them, there are others here that are much better at genetic stuff, so maybe they will have a better answer. If she seems healthy otherwise, and no issues, that may be all it is. I have some 'blue' chicks for the first time and just learned about the K gene, which one of mine apparently has, which causes delayed feathering. So I have a 7 week old Andalusian/barred rock cross (blue) that has only tiny tail feather stubs and a few flight feathers coming in, while all the rest are fully feathered. Healthy otherwise, looks ridiculous. From reading, some of them apparently don't fully feather til 6 months, or more, sometimes. Genetics are very weird sometimes.

 

[Fluster Cluck Acres]

Lavender coloring is a recessive gene that dilutes the black coloring. There are loads of threads here on lavender orpingtons being actually mottled or splash rather than true lavender. Breeding them (the lavender gene can cause feather problems also when bred lavender to lavender)

Willow’s feathers are a lovely lavender color, but she does have that shredder gene. She has dark skin under those feathers which I think gives her a neater look when compared to my lavender Wyandotte hen, who is much more silver/light blue/grey colored.

Genetics make my head hurt

I’m with you on this one! Every time I think I start to understand something, I learn something new.

I have some 'blue' chicks for the first time and just learned about the K gene, which one of mine apparently has, which causes delayed feathering. So I have a 7 week old Andalusian/barred rock cross (blue) that has only tiny tail feather stubs and a few flight feathers coming in, while all the rest are fully feathered. Healthy otherwise, looks ridiculous.

Case-in-point… I’ve never heard of this gene and I have a bunch of blue birds! But here is a thread I made a few months ago about an oddly slow feathering cockerel. The cockerel is black, but his mom is blue… in fact she’s the same breed mix as yours. He was the goofiest looking bird for the longest time. Now he’s 3 months old and pretty normal but still hasn’t grown a tail. I wonder if the K gene you mentioned can affect birds who feather in black but may carry a gene for blue…

 

[coach723]

My "understanding", is very basic and rudimentary, I only just learned of this gene based on my research into why I have a chick with such slow feathering. (I will try to get a picture of the fluffy speed demon today- looks like a mini ostrich to me at this point! No idea yet if it's a pullet or cockerel, but the legs are large and the comb, but just not sure yet, can't see barring in the feathers, but there are so few). So I'm an extreme newbie to the subject. It's a sex linked gene, and I'm not actually sure I really have a handle on it at all yet, much more reading to do. In my case, the chick is a cross with an Andalusian roo and a barred rock hen. None of mine had identifiable spots on their heads, which is what supposedly sexes them, and they were all supposed to be pullets, but I do question at least two of them as being possible cockerels (faint barring in some early feathers), maybe four of them, time will tell (I have 8). I'm completely inexperienced with this particular cross, so all is new to me with these ones. From reading, the slow feathering gene comes from the rocks. It's unclear to me whether this will persist, and feather regrowth will also be slow during molt, some say yes it likely will. The K gene causes slow or delayed feathering, the k+ gene causes rapid feathering, so it is used in some crosses for feather sexing, if you mix the right birds. I found a couple of threads here, links below, by someone who knows what they are talking about, if you are interested. There are loads of articles online too, though again, they DO tend to make my head hurt!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/slow-feathering-and-barred-pattern.97921/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/sex-linked-information.261208/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/rapid-feathering-gene.261951/

 

[coach723]

Here are a few pictures of mine.
This one was taken 9/29 at 5 weeks, with hatch mates for comparison, basically no feathers at that point, it looks small, but is farther away, it's the same size, just no feathers :

These are from today, 10/14, 8 weeks old, with hatch mates for comparison:

 

[Fluster Cluck Acres]

Here are a few pictures of mine.
This one was taken 9/29 at 5 weeks, with hatch mates for comparison, basically no feathers at that point, it looks small, but is farther away, it's the same size, just no feathers :
View attachment 3965176
These are from today, 10/14, 8 weeks old, with hatch mates for comparison:
View attachment 3965177
View attachment 3965178
View attachment 3965180

Wow. Yours is slower feathering than my guy was! Do you know if it’sa pullet or cockerel?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Not sure if what I have to say is germane to the discussion or not, but one of y'all mentioned barring in lavender birds so I thought I would, er, crash this party and jump right in. I have lavender EEs, at this point I have culled 10 cockerels to the freezer and have 4 pullets remaining. Attaching pics of two of the girls to demonstrate that barring, in these at least, is NOT a sex-linked characteristic. One pullet is, the other is not. And some of the cockerels were while others were not. Like I said, I don't know if this helps or not. The sire of all these birds was a barred lavender EE whose mother was a pb lavender Ameraucana. All of my birds' mothers were either pb lavender Aneraucanas (which I saw), or half lavender Ameraucana. The other half, as far as I know, was lavender Orpington but I didn't see that for myself. Here's the girls:

I posted two pics of the second pullet because the second pic shows her color better but cuts off her head.

Let me know if this has no part in this convo and I'll just watch and learn quietly.

 

[coach723]

Wow. Yours is slower feathering than my guy was! Do you know if it’sa pullet or cockerel?

I still don't know if it's a cockerel or pullet. I will post when I know for sure.... Still not enough feathering to be able to tell anything for certain. No overt behavior that screams cockerel, but thick legs.

@BigBlueHen53 , I appreciate your input! These crosses are a first for me and I'm still not sure what I have. There was faint barring in at least two of them in early feathers, as they have grown more I can't even tell which it was. The combs have evened out some, still have a couple with bigger legs, so time will tell. I will update when I'm sure what I have, pullets, cockerels or a mix. I have one that is much darker than the others, almost, but not quite, black, so not even sure if it's the same thing or not. Definitely an experiment and learning experience for me. I'm hopeful that I have more pullets than cockerels though, as that's the reason I bought them! I planned on hatching from my flock in the spring, so that will bring plenty of cockerels to deal with then! Love your lavenders! I've had a fair number of EE's but never a lavender.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I could not tell genders on these guys till they were 13-14 weeks old. I originally thought I had 10 pullets, 5 cockerels, woo-hoo! Boy was I wrong, lol. One of the cockerels, I was not sure until 15 weeks. We ate one and it had the thick rubbery hide of an aged rooster. So much for nice crispy skin. They're not meaty, either, so pretty much a wash for dual-purpose. Sure were pretty though!