Color changes?

[mossyoakpro]

My group just went through a brutal molt...they were almost bald! LOL Anyway, after the molt I noticed that one of my BR's has become almost completely black with gray bars where she used to be gray with black bars(if that makes any sense) Do they change colors sometimes? Just thought it was strange....

 

[OrpingtonManiac]

My group just went through a brutal molt...they were almost bald! LOL Anyway, after the molt I noticed that one of my BR's has become almost completely black with gray bars where she used to be gray with black bars(if that makes any sense) Do they change colors sometimes? Just thought it was strange....

My chocolate hen has gotten white tips to all her feathers after moulting… Its probably normal, or at least nothing to worry about.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Many chickens tend to get lighter with every adult more.

 

[mossyoakpro]

My chocolate hen has gotten white tips to all her feathers after moulting… Its probably normal, or at least nothing to worry about.

I just thought it was strange that she made a complete change in color...I did pour that extra protein to them during their molt with tuna fish and leftover chicken/beef and they always rob my barn cats of their food.

 

[Yardmom]

Sometimes the color change is the difference between faded feathers and fresh feathers. Some of my gray birds show quite a contrast. Some birds get white where they were not previously. I would guess there may be other color changes as well.

 

[aart]

Do they change colors sometimes?

Yes. Genes can be sneaky.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Do they change colors sometimes?

Patterns too, either after a juvenile molt or after an adult molt. Some can be explained, some I have no idea why.

Mottling is a recessive gene. You have to have both genes at that gene pair for the mottling to show. But sometimes when mine are mixed with only one Mottling gene I can see some mottling in their first coat of feathers but it goes away after a juvenile molt. At least I see where that is coming from.

I had a hen go from Speckled (mottling gene again) to Exchequer after her first adult molt. She went from black and white speckled to mostly white. That is the most dramatic change I've seen.

Most do not change colors or patterns during or after a molt but some can be much more dramatic than just cleaning up dirty or worn feathers. Just another fun thing with chickens.