Blue hen transformation after molt

[Russ Blair]

Has anyone ever saw a bird totally change its look after a molt? This hen was a blue pullet last breeding season, one I even used. She just came out of a molt and now appears to be a blue ermine lol. I just thought I would share a picture before I take her to a Vietnamese dinner.

[John W Blehm]

Weird. 

[Steve Neumann]

How interesting.  And she threw normal chicks when you used her?  No oddball culls?

[Justin Snyder]

I think she is awesome. I love that you can still see the lacing on the blue feathers. I kept a splash that I bred from the rooster I got from you because you could see the lacing on some of her dark feathers.

[Russ Blair]

Justin I don't keep splash unless they show lacing on the blue feathers as well.

[Justin Snyder]

That is the only splash I kept. But even the light blue feathers showed some lacing so I know she has what I want. I was tempted to keep a splash cockerel that had lacing but he wen't into the pot because of poor type.

[Ashley Frye]

Hey Russ! Funny enough, I was able to stumble across this old topic, and it was exactly what I was looking for. I just had no idea what to even search for lol.

I had this same thing happen with one of my older hens following her recent molt. I'm sure you were just as surprised as I was to come out and find one of your blues had gone splash haha. I've used her quite a bit, including this spring, and have hatched some birds with lacing that I was pretty proud to see come from such a light blue. All things considered, she's been a pretty decent bird, especially with her being one of only two blues I started with back in 2023. I was finally feeling like I was making some progress with the lacing after last breeding season, but now I feel like I've hit a bit of a standstill between this and seeing some of this spring's laced blue pullets feather in muddier and more smudged than I had anticipated.

I haven't seen this "molting white" issue show up in any of her offspring (yet, anyway lol), but in this particular case, could it possibly be pigment cell exhaustion due to old age? And I don't imagine it would make a difference, but I do know she may carry recessive white after some eggs were accidentally left under a broody hen (I ended up removing the male from that pen shortly afterward). I haven't had her tested, though, so that's still just speculation. I'm curious whether anyone else has seen this happen in birds carrying recessive white as well.

Either way, I'm taking it as her cue for retirement!

[Tailfeathers]

That is definitely weird.  An example of one of the things that makes breeding so interesting.  You may recall several years ago of me posting one of my black mottled pullets from a Wheaten.  But even that wasn't as weird as this because she was born that way.  To have one change like that after a molt is mind boggling to me.

Is it possible for a Blue to change to a Splash after birth?  That's the only thing I can think of.

[Russ Blair]

How interesting.  And she threw normal chicks when you used her?  No oddball culls?

Sorry Steve, I did not see your original comment. The Hen I had produced chicks with the correct Black, Blue and Splash Phenotype. You couldn't tell them apart from any other chicks. Even as adults they looked normal.

With that said I did have one of her daughters do the exact same thing to me when she molted. I have to believe whatever it is is definetly hereditary. I am only speaking from the experience I had with my birds though. Ashley I am curious if you will have the same results as I had. Good news is I did not notice any pullets molt out this spring and have this happen. Now that I saw this I will probably have a half dozen of them do this next spring lol.