Reflective foil mat for hen

[Jocelyne13]

Fascinating. First time I ever heard of a "shredder" gene. Good pics showing what it looks like. Hope you are able to keep her warm in your climate!

We have had a nearly a week of cold temps and snows, and my coop has been put to the test. So far so good! The coop has been keeping a few degrees warmer than the outside temp. And...my hen seems comfortable so far. I am so relieved!! I have looked into additional measures too for when our winter temps really drop, should this hen still have not feathered out more fully. But I’d say things are going better than I anticipated thus far.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

We have had a nearly a week of cold temps and snows, and my coop has been put to the test. So far so good! The coop has been keeping a few degrees warmer than the outside temp. And...my hen seems comfortable so far. I am so relieved!! I have looked into additional measures too for when our winter temps really drop, should this hen still have not feathered out more fully. But I’d say things are going better than I anticipated thus far.

That's great news. I wonder if there is any info on caring for birds with this condition in harsh climates. If not, you might consider documenting your experiences and ultimately submitting an educational article on the topic here to BYC. Others might benefit from it, and sometimes they hold contests.

 

[aart]

So I contacted the breeder, and she said she was aware of some of the problematic genetics in her Isabels- but appreciated me letting her know what I was seeing in my Isabels that I got from her as chicks. She has been breeding that coloration for only four years, and she said sourcing better/unrelated stock in Canada was difficult since many came from an original single import to Canada. She said the Isabel coloration was difficult to achieve with any kind of consistency, hence she was starting over. She has purchased new stock recently to start from scratch, though she said that these birds looked much paler than what she had before. She also described how much time, space and money it takes to breed- which coming from a horse breeding background I can certainly appreciate. I am confident that I will purchase stock from this breeder again. It takes courage to admit that you are not achieving the desired results in your breeding. I also appreciate that she is working towards “getting it right”, so that she will have consistent high quality stock.

Good that she was honest and not full of denial at any little criticism.

 

[Jocelyne13]

This is the before, when I originally posted- a bit over 20weeks/5months old. Figured out with the help of those that commented, that this hen has the “shredder“ gene, also known as the lavender gene. (See pics)

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This is her now! Picture taken today, Jan 25, 2021. What a difference!! I think she still may improve with her feathering, but if she doesn’t, then at least she is semi normal now. Thought everyone would like to see the dramatic change.

 

[Grizzler]

Awesome. Following from Ardrossan area a little further north from you...
only -30 yesterday up here.
We really like your coop!

 

[Jocelyne13]

Awesome. Following from Ardrossan area a little further north from you...
only -30 yesterday up here.
We really like your coop!

Thankfully we haven’t gotten that cold yet this winter. The past two winters here were rough! Glad to be having an easier winter especially since this is my first year with chickens. So far so good though with my coop- stays usually 5’C warmer that outside temps. Stay warm!