Mottled chickens changing appearance over time - photos?

[Magnayen]

From what I've read it's common knowledge among breeders that mottled chickens are "going gray" with every molt and become increasingly more spotted as they get older, but I never had any myself. Some sources state after some years you'll have an almost fully white chicken, while someone else says theirs stay kinda the same after a certain time. I've searched for quite a while, but I couldn't find a single before/after comparison for some reason.

So, how extreme is the change over time? I'd love to see a comparison of the same bird at different age, any pictures would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Debbie292d]

Which breed are you hearing this about? With Silkies, I'm in a couple of Silkie Facebook groups and never heard anyone bringing that up. I know when they molt, sometimes mine will change ever so slightly, but it's not enough to even mention so maybe silkies are different in that they don't change that much if at all?

 

[Magnayen]

Which breed are you hearing this about? With Silkies, I'm in a couple of Silkie Facebook groups and never heard anyone bringing that up. I know when they molt, sometimes mine will change ever so slightly, but it's not enough to even mention so maybe silkies are different in that they don't change that much if at all?

I've read this in several books and online articles about chicken colors in general, but also from breeders talking about their specific breeds. Some of which I remember where Cochin, Polish, Houdan and Austrian Steinpiperl.

 

[NatJ]

From what I've read it's common knowledge among breeders that mottled chickens are "going gray" with every molt and become increasingly more spotted as they get older, but I never had any myself. Some sources state after some years you'll have an almost fully white chicken, while someone else says theirs stay kinda the same after a certain time. I've searched for quite a while, but I couldn't find a single before/after comparison for some reason.

So, how extreme is the change over time? I'd love to see a comparison of the same bird at different age, any pictures would be greatly appreciated!

I know they change over the first few months, as they grow. I've seen it myself, and I've seen photos showing that much change.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/5-week-old-mille-fleur-duccles-roos-or-pullets.818299/
This thread has photos of Mille Fleur d'Uccle chicks at 5 weeks old, with almost no mottling visible. I have had chicks that looked like this at this age, and then grew up to have the typical Mille Fleur appearance (google has lots of photos of adults, if you're not already familiar with the appearance.)

As for whether they keep getting more white each year when they are adults, I haven't personally kept any for enough years to know for sure, and I'm not finding any photos either. But it might be possible for all the sources to be correct: maybe some get more white until they're completely white, and some stabilize at a certain stage. Considering how many other things are variable from one chicken or breed to another, that might be also.

https://hencam.com/henblog/2013/11/etheldreds-changing-plumage/
This page shows a chicken with mottling (Speckled Sussex) at an immature stage, as an adult, and a year later after another molt. It's the longest series of photos I've yet found.

 

[Magnayen]

I know they change over the first few months, as they grow. I've seen it myself, and I've seen photos showing that much change.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/5-week-old-mille-fleur-duccles-roos-or-pullets.818299/
This thread has photos of Mille Fleur d'Uccle chicks at 5 weeks old, with almost no mottling visible. I have had chicks that looked like this at this age, and then grew up to have the typical Mille Fleur appearance (google has lots of photos of adults, if you're not already familiar with the appearance.)

As for whether they keep getting more white each year when they are adults, I haven't personally kept any for enough years to know for sure, and I'm not finding any photos either. But it might be possible for all the sources to be correct: maybe some get more white until they're completely white, and some stabilize at a certain stage. Considering how many other things are variable from one chicken or breed to another, that might be also.

https://hencam.com/henblog/2013/11/etheldreds-changing-plumage/
This page shows a chicken with mottling (Speckled Sussex) at an immature stage, as an adult, and a year later after another molt. It's the longest series of photos I've yet found.

Thanks for the links! Especially the second one, that's exactly what I've looked for! I wonder why this phenomenon isn't more documented though, considering the gene is quite common among all sorts of breeds?

That drastic change from juvenile to adult plumage is not so much different from my spangleds, but at least they stay practically the same once they hit their adult appearance

 

[NatJ]

Thanks for the links! Especially the second one, that's exactly what I've looked for! I wonder why this phenomenon isn't more documented though, considering the gene is quite common among all sorts of breeds?

When "everyone knows" something, they often do not bother to document it. Or maybe some have documented it, but I haven't tried the right search terms to find it

 

[CoopBoots]

This is a barring example, so maybe not as applicable, but this is my rooster as a cockerel and then now, at least two years (but probably much more) later. I adopted him so can't vouch for the complete timeline, but the brown sickle feathers seem to have gone all white:

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

Ah, this is one situation where my million photos of my Mottled Java will come in handy! Admittedly, her plumage change isn't too drastic, but there is a big difference.
As a pullet, summer 2017:

October 2018:

February 2019:

April 2020:

March 2021:

February 2022:

February 2023:

December 2023, which is what she looks like now.

She's much more white now than when she was a pullet, but the amount of new white that appears after each molt has gotten less and less as she ages. She's going to be seven this year, and probably isn't going to get much whiter.

Hope the visual helps!

 

[Magnayen]

Hope the visual helps!

This helps a lot!

The adult plumage of your java really didn't change as much as I imagined after reading all this stuff. I think my concern about eventually ending up with a white bird when getting a mottled was a bit exaggerated. Thank you

 

[NagemTX]

This helps a lot!

The adult plumage of your java really didn't change as much as I imagined after reading all this stuff. I think my concern about eventually ending up with a white bird when getting a mottled was a bit exaggerated. Thank you

Unless it's not. @MysteryChicken has a project going with birds that get whiter every molt. I believe it's under the title chameleon project.

I believe hers where not mottled tho. I would have to revisit the thread to be sure.