Black To White Experiment

[MysteryChicken]

I am not sure what it is, but she should not turn splotchy white(in route to becoming white) after her daughter(at least in age) she should have had that change many months before her doughter.

The experiment's purpose is to try to figure out what's going on. If more of these are produced through breeding, we'll know it's a genetic mutation for sure.

She turns 4 this year, she's like a year younger then Dino.

 

[nicalandia]

The experiment's purpose is to try to figure out what's going on. If more of these are produced through breeding, we'll know it's a genetic mutation for sure.

She turns 4 this year, she's like a year younger then Dino.

So this hen is about 4 years of age and it's in route to become mostly white right? and While she had a white flight feather she just started changing color right?

 

[MysteryChicken]

So this hen is about 4 years of age and it's in route to become mostly white right? and While she had a white flight feather she just started changing color right?

Both wings since chickhood had mostly white primary flight feathers. That's from 6-7 weeks, to 6 months of age, & all the way up to the present.

She just start changing colors a few days ago, yes.

 

[nicalandia]

She just start changing colors a few days ago, yes.

I find this to be very strange and uncommon for a genetic trait to be expressing this late at the bird's age.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I find this to be very strange and uncommon for a genetic trait to be expressing this late at the bird's age.

I also find it weird.

 

[ColtHandorf]

If parasites

Those legs look like scaly leg mites to me. So I wouldn't rule out an external factor in the birds changing colors. It's just as possible it is genetic.

 

[MysteryChicken]

View attachment 3367003
Those legs look like scaly leg mites to me. So I wouldn't rule out an external factor in the birds changing colors. It's just as possible it is genetic.

Besides those. Scaly leg mites were terrible last year. I was referring to the mites, & lice in the actual feathers(They're lice, & mite free had a Permethrin treatment).

The worse coop with scaly leg mites was the Bantam coop. Still have birds in there I need to treat. None of them changed color.

The only 2 hens in the Standard coop(Where the color changing birds are)that actually got scaly leg mites, is Pea(Screenshot you took), & an Orpington.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Updated pictures of Chameleon hen's mother.
She's changing pretty much the same as her daughter, mainly starting with the head, & face.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Will update as she changes. Like every few weeks, or so.

 

[Cloverr39]

Wow this is really interesting! My grandparents used to have a brown hen that started turning white from her head. That was years ago though and the hen got taken by a hawk soon after she started turning white. I think she might’ve been about a year old.